My Shitennou, an AU First Season Fic
by Crystalmoon.Silverlight
Summary: What if the events we have all come to know were never meant to be? What if something catastrophic went wrong back in Season 1? Can a group of youngsters preserve the future that was meant to be before they cease to exist? Or are the Senshi doomed to be alone forever? Senshi/Shittennou romance plus my Chibi-Shitennou. Longer summary inside.
1. Chapter 1: Surprise Visitors

**My Shittennou: AU First Season Fic **

**Short Summary:** What if the events we have all come to know were never meant to be? What if something catastrophic went wrong back in Season 1? Can a group of youngsters preserve the future that was meant to be?

**Author's Notes: **The pretense of this story is simple. A disturbance in the timeline is discovered as a group of young men make a surprise arrival in the royal palace. The disturbance occurred way back during the first season battle against Queen Beryl and thereby shaped the events we have all come to know as canon (as per a combination of the manga and anime storylines). Their very existence hanging in the balance, the boys must travel back to the past if they hope to survive and restore the world as they have all come to know it. This story will center largely around the Senshi/Shitennou pairings with some assistance from my Chibi-Shittennou.

**Chapter 1: Surprise Visitors**

The year was 2900 and Crystal Tokyo was at peace. Prince Dimando and the Dark Moon Clan had yet to attack. A seven-year-old Princess Usagi Lady Serenity, otherwise known as "Small Lady" was still two years away from making her vastly important trip back to the 20th century. All was as it should be... or so the pink-headed young princess thought as she made her way out into the palace yard. A small swing-set and a few other odds and ends made up the palace "playground," set up just for her. Well... her and the children of the soldiers and servants and cooking staff that were known to pass through on occasion.

Taking a seat on one of the swings, the little girl known by most as Small Lady pushed off and swung slowly back and forth. She had everything a little girl could want really: loving parents who adored her, the undivided attention of all the senshi (when they weren't busy of course), and all the toys she could possibly want. Of course, there were times when she wouldn't mind sharing the attention... just a little bit, of course, not all of it. It got lonely being the only royal child in the palace. As a general rule, the 'normal' children didn't want to socialize with a 898 year old princess who still had the physical and mental capabilities of a seven-year-old.

Slowly she went forward. Slowly she went back. The wind blew through her soft pink pigtails. The birds sang at her from way up in the trees. A bright light flashed through the garden; Small Lady blinked, bringing her swing to a stop. A dome of energy appeared not 10 feet in front of her, appearing to hold within it the figures of five small boys and one adult; the princess gasped, bringing herself quickly to her feet. Her ruby eyes searched for a safe exit... an safe adult... something or someone that could protect her.

The dome dropped and one of the younger boys rushed at her. Small Lady let out a terrified scream as the impact of the smaller body against hers sent her backwards over the swing and onto the hard ground behind it. Tears threatened the sides of her eyes as pain shot up from her backside and she found herself at the mercy of a little boy of no more than four years of age. His raven-hair fell over his baby blue eyes as he sat up on the older girl's chest. His little face broke into a gleeful grin as he leaned down and wrapped his small arms around Small Lady's neck. "Onee-san! You're alright! I thought everyone was gonna die, but... you're okay!"

Forgetting that she was in pain and potentially in danger, Small Lady sat up and starred at the younger child, who continued to cling to her neck, with trepidation. "Onee-san...?" She looked from the child to the rest of the group, some of whom still seemed to be a little dazed by the trip.

The adult of the group, going by the name Takeshi, had dark green hair similar to Pluto and distinct emerald-green eyes. It was he that spoke up first. "Is everyone alright?" he wondered, setting his time staff down to rest upon the ground. It didn't take but a second to see that something was wrong. The very garden they had been standing had changed in its appearance.

"I...I'm alright," came the soft voice of a six-year-old boy with blue hair and the symbol of Mercury on the front of his uniform. He was known by his friends as Akemi. The young man studied his surroundings with intelligence well beyond his six years, noting the differences between what had been only moments ago and what was now. "Everything is different," he remarked, wandering over to a large tree to look up. "And the tree house is gone too."

"I think the stars have shifted too..." This calm interjection came from nine-year-old Kanechi, the boy with the symbol of Jupiter reflecting off the front of his uniform. At the advanced age of nine, he was a handsome youth with russet-brown hair and chocolate brown eyes with stars twinkling within them. His eyes glazed over as he turned to stare up at the sky.

"What the heck WAS that?!" His loud voice topping that of the others, eight-year-old Akiyama gave away his personality in only five words. He was the outspoken, the intense one of the group. Even his raven-black-hair was unruly, ever-threatening to fall down into his lavender eyes as they flickered like two little campfires. In every way, he lived up to the symbol of Mars on the front of his uniform. "Hey, Stupid Lady! Where did my dad go?!"

"I'm not alright. I fell on my butt. I think I hurt it." The youngest of the group and the last to speak up, four-year-old Kaishou answered Takeshi's question quite matter-of-factly. His parents hadn't raised him to be a crybaby and he wasn't really hurt badly; therefore, he saw no reason to cry over it. Standing on his feet, he reached back to rub his sore behind. With his soft blonde locks, baby blue eyes and the symbol for Venus reflecting off the front of his uniform, Kaishou held a really strong resemblance to the Sailor Senshi of Venus.

Small Lady's eyes flashed angrily at the little boy who teased her, but she knew how to deal with him! Pushing the smaller boy off of her, the princess got to her feet and ran off in the direction of the palace. These boys were intruders. When she told her daddy what happened, they would all get in trouble and get kicked right off the palace grounds! She was quite sure of it!

Akiyama blinked in surprise as Small Lady ran off without so much as a threat or a raspberry. "That's weird. She didn't yell at me that time." The young man frowned a little in disappointment. Of all the kids, Small Lady was the most fun to tease cause she was feisty and fought back, not like Akemi's sister who cried (he hated seeing girls cry) or Kaishou's sister who simply ignored his words altogether (he also hated being ignored) and Kanechi's sister might actually hit him if he went too far in his teasing of her. Of course, he wouldn't tease his own sister too much because she was one of the few people that actually understood him. So, that just left the feisty pink-haired princess to be the primary object of his teasing attentions.

Not surprisingly, it hadn't taken very long for the wave of energy combined with the little princess' terrified scream to gain the attention of the palace staff. In her hurry to find an adult, Small Lady managed to crash right into the very one she had hoped to find. She grimaced as she landed on her back for the second time in the past five minutes. Tears stung the sides of her eyes as her father reached down to offer her a hand up. "Are you alright, Usagi-chan?" he wondered, scooping his daughter up and holding her close within his protective arms.

"Daddy, there are INTRUDERS in the palace! They pushed me down and started teasing me!" The princess charged, one finger pointing accusingly back towards the garden she had just vacated. Hugging her father's neck, she let a satisfied smile cross her face. NOW, they were going to get it. Her father and the senshi would get onto them and make them leave right away.

"Your Majesty, why don't you take Small Lady inside?" Jupiter suggested, coming up beside the king and his ever-young daughter. The last thing she wanted was the princess in any danger.

"We can take care of this." Venus added, reassuring him with a confident smile.

Nodding, King Endymion took his daughter who had her little head resting comfortably against his shoulder, and carried her back towards the palace where her mother was surely waiting.

"Strange..." Mercury remarked, speaking up as the king and his daughter disappeared out of sight. At the quizzical glance from the others, she explained, "The energy signatures are familiar. The computer indicates they are almost a match for the energy of our own home planets."

"Well, let's not just stand here!" Sailor Mars was itching for some action, for not a whole lot had been happening around here lately and in truth... she was bored. Jupiter was the first one on the scene but Mars was the first to speak, directing her demands at the adult of the group. "What the heck is going on here? Who are you and where did you get that staff?!"

Sailor Mars' tone and immediate demands upon arrival told Takeshi all he needed to know about the state of those not protected inside his time bubble. The time flux had completely altered their memories, a fact which was going to make fixing this calamity all that much harder. Gazing calmly at the inflamed Martian, Takeshi calmly answered her questions. "My name is Meioh Takeshi. Chronos gave it to me. And your guess is as good as mine, Mars-sama. Well... perhaps, not 'quite' as good as mine. I do have time on my side, after all."

"Mama!" Elated at the arrival of Venus, young Kaishou paid no attention to the conversation between the adults but flung himself upon the blonde-headed senshi. Hugging onto her legs tightly, he looked up with an excited grin. "Mama, there was a BIG energy wave! And Keshi protected us with his time bubble! And I protected Mamo-chan, just like you said!"

"Mama?!" Venus felt light-headed. She looked down at the child, shock written out clear upon her face. She didn't have a child. She would KNOW if she had had a child. She would REMEMBER if had given birth to a child! But... this child quite clearly picked her out as his mother and he did... kind of resemble her with the blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Mom!" Eight-year-old Akiyama was also quick to rush at his mother although he didn't throw himself upon her the way Kaishou did and he waited till she was finished yelling at Takeshi first. He wasn't a little kid after all. He was practically grown! "That energy had a dark feel to it, didn't it Mom? I would have come and told you, but Stupid Lady ran off and wouldn't tell me where you and Dad were at... and if she says I did anything, she's just a stuck-up ol' liar!"

"..." Sailor Mars starred down at the young man that had approached her, then to the one that was still holding onto Venus, and then back at Mercury. "Mercury... what is going on?!"

"Yeah, Mercury...!" Akiyama started, mimicking his mother's words and tone quite well until Mars turned to stare down at him again. "eh, I mean...Mercury-sama, what's going on?! That was really, really weird! Cool... but weird! Are there going to be bad guys to beat up?!"

Although she was as shocked as the others, Jupiter couldn't help but grin a little at Akiyama's mimicry of Sailor Mars. He had her pegged to a tee! "Well, that one is definitely yours, Mars," she offered with a bemused chuckle at the befuddled expression on the other senshi's face. Of course, there was also the matter of the other three boys who had arrived on scene; the brunette turned to look at them. Kanechi had returned from his inquiry of the stars and was now trying to comfort the concerned Mamo-chan who wanted to know why his mother hadn't come to get him. Akemi, for his part, had moved closer to Takeshi, starred out shyly from behind his back.

"I have to agree." As her mini-computer returned the information she needed, Mercury nodded at Jupiter's assessment of the situation. These boys were in fact what they claimed to be, the children of the Inner Planetary Senshi... and Pluto respectively.

"WHAT?!" Mars blanched at this.

"Perhaps... we should take this inside and see what Endymion and Serenity have to say." Venus suggested, seeming to recover herself well-enough to reclaim charge of the situation. If what they said was true, then something must be seriously wrong. At the others agreement, she motioned for the boys to follow and led the way back towards the palace.

* * *

Sailor Venus led the group back to a large sitting room which also had a large viewing screen on one side. The senshi often met here because it gave them the opportunity to relax while also using the viewing screen to access the palace computer network and keep an eye on things wherever trouble might be brewing. All of the boys were familiar with the room and its contents, although things had changed ever so slightly, a few items added and a few missing.

On a small love against one wall of the room, Endymion sat with his wife and their daughter, Usagi who presently had herself cuddled up against her mother. The child's eyes went wide, however, when she saw the boys enter in the room along with the senshi. "What are THEY doing here?!" she wondered angrily. Looking to her mother, she pleaded her case yet again. "Those are the intruders who...!" she trailed off as her mother placed a single finger lightly over her outspoken daughter's mouth, giving her a look that said she should keep quiet. The little princess let out a heavy breath and leaned herself back up against her mother's chest.

This wasn't to last, however, because the moment little Mamoru entered the room with Kanechi, his baby blue eyes locked onto the presence of his parents. "Mommy!" His eyes teared up as he pulled away from his friend and rushed over to launch himself into Serenity's lap, displacing the offended princess. His face went straight into Serenity's chest and he started sobbing quietly, not loudly like Chibi-Usagi who had taken after her mother in that respect.

"Hey!" Princess Usagi was NOT happy with this development or this child. Who was HE to come in and take HER place in HER mommy's lap? He couldn't just...

"Come here, Usa-chan." Endymion intervened, reaching over to take hold of his daughter and pull her down into his lap. When her red eyes turned to give him a put-out look, the king was ready with a smile of his own. "It is my turn to hold you anyway."

The fire in the princess' eyes died down a bit as she contemplated this. It wasn't _really_ fair to give Mommy ALL the attention. After all, Daddy needed her too and she hadn't sat with him at _all_ since they had gotten back into the palace. Though still not elated over the little boy clinging to her mother, the princess settled down against her father's chest to watch him.

"Oh, my..." Serenity's blue eyes widened in surprise as the little boy launched himself at her, but quickly melted as he started sobbing into the front of her dress. Wrapping an arm around him, she rubbed one hand up and down his back gently. "Poor baby... shh, you are all right."

"I... thought... you and Daddy had died." the child sniffed, his little muscles untensing slowly in light of the queen's gentle attentions. Snuggling up against the queen, Mamoru shifted so that he was turned facing his older sister. "There was a big explosion and Onee-san was outside and she ran off, but you didn't come and thought you had died! I thought you had DIED!"

"Shhh..." Serenity hushed the boy again and he finally seemed to settle down. Looking down at him snuggled up to her that way, she just had to smile in adoration. He was so cute! In fact, he bore a very striking resemblance to Mamoru back before his hair had shifted into its now dark lavender shade. She looked to her husband who returned her smile before speaking to the senshi.

While his wife tended to her newly acquired child, Endymion observed those entering the room. If the king was anything, he was observant so he quickly made note of the little boy clinging to the neck of the Sailor Senshi's commander, that is to say Sailor Venus. With his blonde hair and baby blues, Kaishou strongly resembled Venus. But something about those eyes... the coloring was Venus but the intensity behind them and the way he kept them locked steadily and intently on the little boy sitting in Serenity's lap... it reminded the king of... someone else.

Akiyama with his raven locks, exotic skin-tone, and those lavender eyes which burned like two little fires was easily a match for Mars. At the moment, the eight-year-old was quite intent on staying at Mars' side, even if it meant behaving himself. But, that playful smirk... he recognized it from another face, one that he had known all too well. Jupiter and Mercury entered, Jupiter finding a seat and Mercury remaining standing.

Kanechi didn't go for a seat either; he quickly found a comfortable spot on the floor, crossed his legs and settled in. So much like... even the stars that twinkled behind his eyes and that knowing look... reminded him so much of... could he be imagining it? And Akemi, the last to enter the room along with Takeshi. His general appearance screamed Mercury... the blue hair being the first give away, but he too brought back memories. The look of uncertainty about himself... the way he seemed to take in the entire room with just one glance, yet not missing a single detail...

Perhaps, it was just that he missed them so much... felt their absence as he built his kingdom knowing that they were intended to be here at his side as he did it, when they had long since passed on. They had remained with him for a while... sort of... their spirits holding onto the four stones that allowed him to keep them close. But, such an existence couldn't be expected to last forever. One by one they had stopped answering his call, fading away like the wind.

It was Takeshi, the adult of the group that drew Endymion out of his thoughts. He directed the blue-haired boy to a seat over by Akiyama and then turned his attention to the royal pair. He approached quietly, stopping shortly before them to take one knee laying his staff to rest across his leg. His calm face betrayed none of his concerns as he addressed the pair politely. "Your Majesties. I suppose it is safe to presume you do not remember me. My name is Meioh Takeshi... Pluto Knight. If you prefer a title, that is really the best I can come up with on short notice."

"Pluto Knight?" Serenity wondered curiously. "You are Pluto's..."

"Son," Takeshi filled in before the neo-queen could assume the obvious. I am Sailor Pluto's son... or I 'was' up until a few moments ago." With a motion of his hand, he introduced the five boys which had come along with him. "The boy in your arms is Prince Mamoru Endymion II, your son and Princess Usagi's younger brother."

Takeshi gave the princess a bemused smile as her little mouth dropped open in horror. When she had thought she wouldn't mind sharing some of the attention, she hadn't actually MEANT it! That was the LAST thing she needed! Some cute little kid stealing all of Mommy and Daddy's love and attention! This would NOT do! This would not do at ALL! She had to... she had to...

"Wanna sit with Mommy?" the child guessed, reading his sister's face like a book. Slipping down quietly out of his mother's lap, the boy padded over and climbed up next to Endymion holding his arms out to be held. The child was perfectly content to switch places so long as he got to sit with ONE of his parents, for he was still disturbed by earlier events and wanted to feel the comfort of his family right then.

Princess Usagi Lady Serenity starred at the child in disbelief. Man, he was _good_. He was doing that on _purpose_, just to try and act sweet so that Mommy and Daddy would love him more than they loved HER. Well, that just wasn't going to happen! Two could play at THAT game! Girls were naturally sweeter than boys anyway. "Alright," she agreed reluctantly. Snaking her arms around her father's neck, she planted a kiss on his cheek before climbing over into her mother's lap and giving her one of the same before settling down. 'There... now I got him!' Boys didn't like kisses. So, there was no way he could top that.

Mamoru didn't pay her any mind though and settled down again once Endymion had lifted him up into his lap. Snuggling up close, he let a somewhat sleepy gaze fall back upon his older sister.

Takeshi just shook his head and proceeded to introduce the others. Kanechi was the son of Sailor Jupiter and Nephrite. Jupiter's mouth fell open in disbelief, her brown eyes turning to meet those of the young man who – now that she thought about it – did bare a very strong resemblance to the man she had fought and killed in two different lifetimes. Akemi was the son of Sailor Mercury and Zoisite. The bluenette blushed prettily but wasn't surprised as her computer had already come to this conclusion FOR her; the child in question had yet to so much as look at her.

Akiyama was the son of Sailor Mars and Jadeite. Sailor Mars just about choked over this confirmation while Venus did a full spit take with the tea that had been left for them by the servants before they had all vacated to check on the energy flux. Akiyama laughed outright at the scene as did Mamoru while Kanechi grinned, Akemi looked shocked and Kaishou crinkled his nose in disgust. The boy looked up at Venus to inform her that, "You made a mess, Mommy."

Sailor Mars looked down at her 'son' who looked back at her with a grin. "For both our sakes, I hope you took after MY side of the family." Akiyama's bemused grin just grew larger.

Last but not least, Kaishou was the son of Sailor Venus and Kunzite. Of course, by this time the golden-haired senshi had already come to this probable conclusion. She turned the boy in her lap so she could study his face. Rather than shock or disgust or embarrassment, Venus could only feel... sadness at the news. She, for one, would have loved to have fixed things with Kunzite but... it just wasn't meant to be. This child wasn't meant to be.

Lightly, the Venusian Senshi treaded her fingers through the boys thick blonde locks starring into that intense gaze that reminded her so much of his father, so much of Kunzite. 'Kunzite...' How long had it been since she'd dared to think that name... to remember the time they had spent together, back before things went down the way they did? "So, what does this mean?"

"It means... someone or something has disturbed the timeline." Takeshi explained, answering Venus' question but continuing to address his words at the royals. "With mother's warning, I was able to protect these boys and myself. Everything else... everyone else... has been affected by the disturbance. I am afraid... to tell you anything more, I would have to return to the gates and see just when the disturbance began and what it has caused."

King Endymion frowned at this. A potential disturbance was something serious, but that didn't mean he was comfortable allowing a young man he had only just been introduced to moments before to enter the realm of Sailor Pluto. The king turned to look at his wife, wondering what her take on the matter was; personally, he would have felt better bringing Pluto HERE.

He didn't have to ask, for Serenity knew him well enough to simply read the question on his face. She also knew what he was thinking, "Perhaps, we should have Pluto come here instead?"

"I am already here, Your Majesties." And just like that, she was there. The age old time senshi stood in the doorway of the meeting room, her amber eyes locked upon the man that claimed to be son. "Takeshi is correct. Something *has* caused a disturbance in the time line."

Raising to his feet, Takeshi turned to address his mother. "You... remember me? I wasn't sure if you would, considering the shift..."

Pluto gave the young man a smile, her uncertainty not betrayed by the ever-contained look upon her face. "I am afraid not. After I noticed your appearance in the timeline, it was only a matter of time before I was able to trace down the problem." Looking to her king and queen, she explained, "Someone has gone back and changed the past. The change has caused shift in the time line, so that everything which occurred after that change was effected.

"When was this change made? Why was it made?" Mercury wondered, her slender fingers already starting to tap commands into her Mercury computer.

"The change was made in the twentieth century shortly after Beryl's awakening, before any of you were even aware of the battle." Pluto explained coming further into the room, fully aware of ever eye locked upon her. Her gaze, however, was turned upon Endymion. "Endymion... your men... they were reborn the same as Serenity and the Senshi and yourself. They were never meant to die the way they did; their lives were taken from them before they ever knew who they were much less who you were." With a sigh, she had to admit honestly, "In fact... if she had not been told, Beryl never would have known where to find them in their reborn states."

"Why...?" At that moment in time, it was the only word the king could get out. Why would someone go through the trouble of ensuring that his Shitennou, his brothers would not survive? Why them? They weren't any worse than the Senshi, all of whom had turned against Serenity during the battle against Galaxia and Chaos. They were no less deserving of forgiveness. They should have had... would have had the chance to find happiness, to build families, to stand by him. But, all that had been taken from them. And for what?

"I could hazard a guess." Takeshi spoke up. With the king's nod and the other's attention, the Son of Pluto offered his own thoughts. "As it is, you never knew the world as *I* have known it. With this change, you have effectively lost over two-thirds of your best soldiers. Young Mamoru and his Shittennou may not be much to worry over now, but they would grow into vital members of your team; Small Lady and her team of Senshi as well. All of the Senshi had heirs, all of them. Without them, the battles you face in the future will be many times more difficult..."

"Whoa, whoa...!" Princess Usagi (to later be dubbed as Chibiusa) nearly jumped right out of her mother's lap in excitement. "Go back to the part about MY Senshi! When do I get my Senshi?!"

"Onee-san has a team too? Cool!" Prince Mamoru was equally excited over this development. "That means my team can fight with your team! I bet my Shitennou can beat up your Senshi!"

"What?! They cannot!"

"They CAN to!"

"Can NOT!"

"Can TO!"

"I can beat YOU up!"

"Not if I get you first! Luna-P!" Without warning, Small Lady's Luna-P toy came seemingly out of nowhere, flying towards her outstretched hand. Standing up on Serenity's lap, the princess called out, "Henge!" The toy-version of Luna changed itself into a slingshot with a large water balloon at the end of it. Drawing it back, she shot her 'little brother' right smack in the face throwing him off of his daddy's lap and rear-first right onto the floor!

"Usagi Lady Serenity!" Neo-Queen Serenity scolded her daughter.

The child had landed flat on his rear-end and at first wore an expression of mere shock. Serenity knew better though; the poor boy was bound to turn on the water works any second now. Before she could get up and reach him, however, the boy wiped his eyes and rose to his feet. "A.B.!" Also seemingly out of nowhere, a small toy-version of Artemis flew into the young man's outstretched hand. "Henge!" The toy changed itself into a slingshot and water balloon matching that of his sister. Only this one had a minor alteration... the little prince had filled it up with whipped cream instead of water. Mamoru pulled back, aimed, and fired his weapon.

"Eep!" With a squeak, the princess dodged causing the trajectory to hit the queen instead.

The mouths of both children dropped open. Across the room, Akiyama was laughing so hard he fell right out of his seat and continued his giggling down on the floor. "Opps..." Mamoru tried to hide the offending weapon behind his back. "Uh... SHE started it!" he accused, pointing the finger at his elder sister. "Onee-san was settin' a bad example. Make her go to her room!"

"What?! I did not!"

"You did too!"

"Did NOT!"

"Did TO!"

**More Author's Notes: **Presently, I have already started on Chapter 2 of this fanfic. However, before I get too far into the story, I would like to know if any of you would like to see more of Princess Usagi Lady Serenity (known as Chibiusa in the past) in this story. Would also like to hear your taken on my versions of the "Chibi-Shitennou." To my knowledge, the idea is original.


	2. Chapter 2: The Devil's 6 O'Clock Bus

**My Shittennou: AU First Season Fic **

**Short Summary:** What if the events we have all come to know were never meant to be? What if something catastrophic went wrong back in Season 1? Can a group of youngsters preserve the future that was meant to be?

**Author's Notes: **So far as I have planned at the moment, this story will continue in the 20th century. We are starting off early in the series as the senshi are newly meeting each other. You may notice that not ALL of the Chibi-Shitennou will show up in every chapter. This is because I want to keep the major focus on how these 'changes' are affecting the Senshi and Shitennou and also take some time for character development. The purpose of the boys is A) to alter certain events that will assure their survive and B) to give me an excuse to introduce them prior to using the lot of them in stories that will center around them.

**Chapter 2:The Devil's 6 O'clock Bus  
**

Standing at the gates of time with Princess Small Lady, Prince Mamoru and the five Chibi Shittennou, Takeshi turned to address his mother. It did hurt a little knowing that she did not remember him, although she _had_ been making an effort to be as 'normal' about this as she knew how to be. "So, let me get this straight. We are going to the past *after* two of the senshi have already awakened? The Shitennou are already well engrained in Beryl's brainwashing by then. Would it not have been simpler to go further back... and prevent them from being taken at all?"

"Takeshi." Although Pluto's son was a grown man and raised since childhood to know all the ins and the outs of the river of time, Sailor Pluto was still the expert by far. "That time period is too close to the point of the initial disturbance; it is already too unstable to risk. Putting in more people not from that time period could cause the timeline to collapse all together. The best I can do is give you enough time to try to prevent their deaths and get them back to Endymion."

"That may be enough to get the timeline back on track, or at least keep us alive long enough to finish fixing it," Takeshi agreed with a nod, shifting the little princess on his shoulders. They were going to need her and her "Luna-P" toy to fix everyone's memories so that they would not question the presence of the boys. With something this important, Takeshi wasn't willing to leave the matter up to a four-year-old boy. Princess Usagi might be seven-years-old in mind and body but she had also been alive for 900 years and she'd taught her brother how to use HIS toy.

"I am not sure I see where the survival of the Shittennou affected yours though." Pluto admitted.

"Ripple effect." Takeshi offered with a grin. "You never got to meet him. Do you think you will be able to get us past your past self without any trouble?"

"No. I will explain to her what is going on; you may end up needing her assistance."

"Fair enough."

* * *

Back in the year 1992, a fourteen year old Hino Rei of the Sendai Hill temple found herself sitting before the sacred fire for what must have been the umpteenth time over the past few days. Her silky raven-black hair fell over her shoulders in waves as her slender fingers moved smoothly through the various motions and symbols that had become like second nature to her. "Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" The sacred flames snapped and crackled, jumping up as if with invisible power sent down from God. Behind closed eyelids grew a sense of knowing, a knowledge that wasn't her own. "S-something is coming; something disastrous."

Her dark lavender eyes opened to stare into the fire lit up before her. Like blazing infernos, her flickering gaze danced in time with the fire. Something was coming. No, something was here. SomeONE was here. Brushing a single strand of raven-like hair back behind her eyes, the temple priestess-in-training rose to her feet and turned to make her way back outside. The door slid open with a soft but distinct "thud." She stepped out onto the porch, making her way to the railing, making her way down the stairs, making her way towards the man discussing with her grandpa.

"Goodbye Hino-san and thank you for taking care of our boys." The man was just in the process of saying goodbye to Grandpa Hino when Rei exited the fire room. As though he had planned it that way, he managed to finish his goodbyes and head for the steps just as the beautiful maiden hit the last step off of the porch. By the time she reached her grandfather, all that could be seen were the pink buns of the child he carried on his shoulders as the pair descended the steps.

"Ah, Rei-chan! I am glad you are here." Grandpa Hino chirruped joyfully. Rei would have stopped to stare after the man and child except that her attention was recalled by her grandfather and his newfound company. Frowning slightly, she made her way over to see what it was the old man wanted or more specifically what the other man had wanted. "My old friend Takeshi called and asked if we could keep an eye on his two grandsons for a while. That boy of his sure has grown since the last time I saw him! Kanechi and Akiyama will be staying with us." Grandpa introduced, placing a hand on either boy's shoulder as he did. "Boys this is my granddaughter, Rei. Don't be scared; she's not as intense as she seems."

"Grandpa..." Rei scolded the old man; her amber eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the boys in question with some suspicion. Could this be what she had been sensing? The elder of the two boys, Kanechi, said not a word but starred at her with a twinkling like stars in his eyes. The younger boy, Akiyama, had a different look altogether, a spark like fire in his eyes as he grinned at her brightly. But, they had one thing in common, the look of knowing.

It was this very look that told her of their special abilities. She had been right about assuming them not normal, and yet... somehow, she didn't think this was what the fire had been warning her of. They weren't normal – then again, neither was she – but they were just little boys. "Welcome to Sendai Hill," she offered as her attention was drawn by a couple of little girls and other patrons coming off of the afternoon bus. "I hope you will both stay out of trouble..."

"They won't be any trouble, Rei!" Grandpa assured her with an elated grin. If there was one thing Grandpa loved, it was having children around the temple. Having a couple of boys staying here would make things a lot more interesting! "Come on boys; I will show you to your room."

"We will try but I make no promises," Kanechi answered with a slight smile before turning to follow after the old man than was going to be putting them up.

"Define trouble..." Akiyama challenged with a playful smirk. Staying with his mother as a younger girl could prove interesting, very interesting in deed. Rei gave the boy a hard stare which only seemed to amuse him more. "You look like my mom when you do that!"

"Come on, Aki-kun." Kanechi called back to his friend.

"I think I am going to like it here. See you later, Rei-sama." Akiyama cheered, his young face broken out in that same elated grin that Grandpa Hino was known for putting on.

"Heaven help us all," Rei muttered, picking up a broom and getting on with the sweeping.

By the time the boys finished getting settled in and headed back out of doors, Rei was already in the process of saying goodbye to the two little girls that were regular patrons at the temple after school. Waving cheerily, one little girl called out with joy and a wave, "Bye-bye, Rei-sama!"

"Goodbye, Mii-chan; take care." Rei called after her, stopping her sweeping only once she saw Akiyama and Kanechi exiting the temple. Grandpa Hino was sweet, but he wasn't the most responsible man on Earth. That meant the responsibility for keeping Akiyama and Kanechi out of trouble would largely fall on her. She only hoped it wouldn't be a distraction.

Hurrying out across the porch with the energy of youth, Kanechi jumped over the porch railing while Akiyama ducked under, eager to get back in the sunlight. At their hips, either boy had tied off a hilt carrying a wooden sword. It was right about the time Kanechi's feet hit the ground that the sound of the six-o-clock bus came into hearing range. The boys exchanged looks and raced over towards the far side of the grounds to look out.

They arrived just in time to peak in at the bus driver, a young man with honey-blonde hair and piercing, laughing blue eyes. This plan was perfect, absolutely perfect. The energy from the Sendai Hill's patrons would surely be enough to get him out of hot water with Queen Beryl. Jadeite smirked as he tilted his head to look up at the temple. He caught sight of two boys and paused to see if they would join the others on the bus. His blue eyes locked onto the elder of the two, a brunette with twinkling eyes that kind of reminded him of one his brothers. He let his gaze fall onto the younger. Akiyama grinned, waving down at him enthusiastically.

Behind them, Hino Rei felt the little hairs standing up on the back of her neck. There it was again, that sense of foreboding. Something was coming; something disastrous was coming. Following her gut, she came up behind the boys with just enough time to catch the bus driver's eye. Her heart nearly caught in her throat; what was this feeling? Her fiery red eyes starred into his laughing blue ones for... but a brief moment before the door slid shut and the bus drove off.

"Come on, Aki-kun." Kanechi slapped his friend hard on the back, nearly causing the younger boy to stubble forward. "Let's practice! I want my dad to see how much better I got!" Grabbing the raven-haired child by the arm, he dragged him off towards an open area on the grounds. Drawing his weapon into his hand, Kanechi set himself into a ready position. "Come on, fire hazard. Let's see if you can keep up with my lightning-fast moves!"

"My fire beats your lightning any day!" Eager to get started, Akiyama drew out his wooden sword and swung it all in one move. His sword hit up against Kanechi's and from there the two boys were off and scuffling. You could be sure this would keep the boys busy for some time.

Raising a brow, Rei returned to her sweeping while watching the boys out of the corner of her eye. Something about them, especially the younger one, had a hold of her attention. She couldn't say precisely what it was, but something about that boy: his smirk, his laugh, that twinkle in his eye. The ring of familiarity tugged at the edge of her brain but she couldn't quite take hold of it...

* * *

It would be the following day before anything more would disturb the peace of the Sendai Hill temple. At Juuban Middle School, it seemed the entire eighth grade was discussing the six-o-clock Sendai Hill bus and the mystery surrounding it. One by one, students put in their two cents.

"Hey, have you ever heard of the Devil's 6 O' Clock Bus?"

"I have! That's the bus that goes the Sendai route, right?"

"What seriously?"

"They say that if you're riding over Sendai Hill exactly at 6 o'clock, it's your last ride ever; you'll just go missing forever!"

"They say that Death himself drives the bus, and that he's driving the bus straight to hell!"

Of course, Tsukino Usagi wouldn't know about it since she usually slept through the first part of homeroom and her reading of choice involved comic books rather than newspapers. A soft snore escaped the blonde odango-headed teenager's lips as Luna, the black kitten that had turned her into the sailor senshi of the moon, peaked up from out of her lap. She shouldn't be there, but she came anyway. 'Girls really do like to gossip, don't they?' she marveled, a soft sigh escaping her lips. It was then a sound in the hallway caught her attention... footsteps... Usagi's teacher!

"Usagi! Hey, wake up!" The feline jumped out of Usagi's lap and up onto her shoulders, pouncing in much the way she did in order to wake her in the mornings. Once Usagi started to stir, she leaned down to whisper softly but forcefully into her ear. "Today, we have to meet with Ami to discuss our strategy to defeat the enemy!" If she reminded Usagi now, maybe she would remember it by the time school was out later in the afternoon.

"Whaaat?" Usagi groaned as she was awakened from her sleep. For some reason, she never seemed to be able to get enough sleep at night. She never seemed to get to sleep early enough and always seemed to get woken up too soon. Of course, "senshi training" also dipped into her already strained sleep schedule. "But Luna," she groaned at the feline's persistence. "I wanna go home early today and take a nap or something."

"We have to meet her at the Game Center at FIVE o'clock," Luna persisted stubbornly, wanting to make sure that Usagi understand the importance of these meetings. Somehow, she just didn't seem to get it. She seemed to see the whole thing like a living, breathing video game.

"Roger that!" Usagi answered back in a loud whisper, a grin playing across her face as she pictured herself giving the general-like feline a mock salute. Wanting the cat to leave the room before the teacher got there and saw her, Usagi tried to shoo her away. "Now, go on before Ms. Haruda sees you." The other students may not tell on her, but if Luna was seen in here... Usagi would be the one to get in trouble for the cat's actions.

Nodding, Luna headed for the door, but of course, Ms. Haruda WOULD choose that moment to walk in. "Ah, sorry I am late class. Let's begin homeroom!" Looking forward to a date later that day, the red-haired sensei was in an exceptionally good mood, at least for the moment. Not only that, but she had to go and step on Luna's tail on the way in the door. With a yowl, Luna jumped up and came down... right on the teacher's head. The class was in stitches and Usagi herself was trying not to laugh herself at the sight. "Sorry Ms. Haruda. My cat followed me in here."

"Tsukino-san. W-why is it always you who pulls this crap?!"

* * *

That same afternoon would find Usagi and her newest friend, Mizuno Ami, meeting up at the Crown Game Center. The pigtailed blonde skipped into the arcade, waving a joyful hello to the resident game clerk, "Hey, Motoki-kun! Did you miss me?" From there, it was straight up to her favorite game, Sailor V! What better way to spend the afternoon than with good friends, a cute game clerk, and Sailor V! "Pew, pew, pew, pew." She listened to the sound of the game speakers as Ami and Motoki looked on. 'Come on... little higher... shoot... jump...shoot...!'

"Wow, Usagi, you have gotten a lot better!" With a friendly smile, Motoki cheered the teenager on. Tsukino Usagi was one of his best customers, but also... she was an all-around sweet girl.

"Heh! Well, that's because Ami is such an amazing teacher!" Usagi glanced away from her game long enough to shoot her new friend one of her most award winning smiles. It was sort of amazing really, how she and Ami had become friends so quickly. Tsukino Usagi struggled to get decent grades in Class 1 while Mizuno Ami was the school genius from Class 5. But like Usagi, she was destined to be a sailor soldier for justice! "Ami, you have beaten this game on hard mode before, right?" Usagi wondered while struggling to defeat one of the game bosses.

"Well, this game looks different from when I played through it. Maybe the game uses a bunch of different scenario patterns?" Ami suggested with a smile and a shrug. Seeing Luna standing off to the side, the bluenette scooped her up and wandered over to sit down at a table nearby. "I still can't believe it. We're soldiers for justice, and we hold mysterious powers. It all seems so..." Ami lifted up her hands and starred down at her palms in amazement. "...surreal."

"Well, you have only just awakened." Luna reassured her, hoping up on the tabletop and taking a seat directly in front of her newest charge. "I'm sure you'll begin to understand it, little by little, as time passes." One thing Luna was sure of, Ami would pick it up a lot faster than Usagi. Ami was already showing improvement in training, but Usagi... it was like none of her previous life's senshi training had kicked in at all. She was completely green to it all, and it was frustrating.

Still pondering this latest development in her life, Ami turned a quizzical eye upon her feline companion. "Luna. When you say "enemy", what kind of people are you talking about? What is the enemy's goal? How are we going to stop them?" So many things to think about... so many things to consider... could the fate of the world really rest in the hands of two teenagers?

"Our main goal," Luna began, her tone very much that of a sensei who knew her topic very well and was eager to share her vast knowledge. "Is to discover the Princess, and more importantly than that, to protect her "Ginzuishou" from falling into the wrong hands."

"The Ginzuishou?" Ami wondered, just about the time Usagi's excitement lit up the arcade.

"Finally! I did it! I beat the second stage!" You could just feel the excitement coming off the girl as her million dollar smile lit up her face once again. She was so innocent, so full of joy. One thing was for sure; you would never peg her as the soldier type. She just seemed to sweet to be fighting anyone. At least, those were Ami's thoughts about the time Luna's crescent moon 'bald spot' lit up with a soft but noticeable shine. "Oh hey, look! Something came out of the machine again, another prize!" Hurrying over to the table, Usagi plopped down across from Ami and Luna, still studying her latest prize. "Oh, it's a wristwatch! Look Ami, there is another one here for you too!"

"Oh, these are just lovely!" Luna cooed, snatching the wristwatches away from her over-excitable blonde-headed companion and looking them over. "With just a few modifications, I can make these into communicator watches for the two of you!" The twinkle in her eye, however, told Ami that there was something more behind those eyes.

"Luna?" The already quite-observant bluenette wondered, thinking back to the shine the feline gave off before the wristwatches came out of the machines. "Did you... rig the game center's machines or something...?" Ami's suspicions were confirmed when the feline gave a wink, tilting her head and letting out an overly cute "mew." Ami just shook her head and chuckled. Luna was smart... if sneaky; she had to give her that if nothing else.

"Hey Ami, it's five o'clock now." Luna observed, remembering that Ami had wanted to leave the Crown Game Center around five o'clock. "Will you be alright?"

"Oh no! I have English extra help today after school!" Ami rose to her feet in a hurry, gathering up her school books and heading for the door. She had to catch the bus if she wanted to get there on time; if she were to miss the bus, she would never make it on time! One thing Ami prided herself on was always being on time. That was the way her mother had raised her.

"Oh, but Ami, if you leave now I'll be bored here by myself!" Usagi whined, not wanting to make her friend late but not wanting to lose her companionship either.

"Well then Usagi, why don't you come along with me?" Ami suggested with a smile and a chuckle. She didn't really expect Usagi to want to study with her, but... it would do the girl good if she could get her to take her schoolwork a little more seriously.

Ami started on her way out the door with Usagi following behind, seemingly still deciding whether or not to follow Ami to her English extra help. She wanted to spend time with her new friend but she didn't want to spend any more time doing schoolwork than she had to.

"And you know, around this time every day, if you ride the bus you'll see this incredibly gorgeous girl who happens to ride on this line during this run. Sometimes we sit together." Ami explained, managing to peak her friend's interest as they headed towards the bus labeled, "Sendai Route." Pulling out her riding ticket, Ami headed up and onto the bus.

"...we're going the Sendai Hill Route?" Usagi wondered, hesitating before the door. "Sounds familiar..." Something about it sounded familiar but she just couldn't quite put her finger on it. She just about jumped out of her skin, however, as an unfamiliar hand rested on her shoulder.

"Oh yeah! It's the route that the 'Devil's 6 O'Clock Bus' is supposedly on!" Coming up behind Usagi, Umino adjusted his glasses and peered out at her intently. "Usagi, we shouldn't get on this bus, it's bad luck!" He exclaimed, his hands flailing emphatically.

'Oh, for goodness sakes...' Usagi groaned as she started to step onto the bus. Umino. He always seemed to be exactly where he wasn't wanted. "Umino, what are you doing here?!"

'Never mind that!' Umino was insistent, trying to prevent his secret crush from getting on the bus. "Seriously, people really do go missing after riding this bus!"

"What? That's just gossip, isn't it?" Brushing Umino off, Usagi climbed aboard the bus not wanting it to leave without her. 'Anyway, I am going to ride the bus with Ami.' It took only a moment to locate Ami and come up next to her on the bus. She managed to arrive at Ami's side just in time to see Ami point out the 'gorgeous girl' who also rode this bus.

"Hey, there she is Usagi! The girl wearing the T.A. Girls Academy uniform!" She _was_ gorgeous: long silky raven locks that rolled down her back, lavender eyes, and an exotic skin tone most women would just die for. Usagi just found herself starring at the girl in awe. Who was she? Why did she feel drawn to her so? It was much the same way she had felt upon meeting Mizuno Ami for the first time. Something drew Usagi to her, as though they had met before and were just reuniting after a very, very long time. She starred, not even noticing when the bus came to a stop, not even noticing when Ami called out on her way off of the bus.

"Okay Usagi, this is our stop, let's go!" Ami called out to her friend as she made her way to the door and stepped off of the bus. She turned around to see if Usagi was going to follow, but she didn't seem to even notice Ami's exit. The doors to the bus closed and the Sendai Hill bus was off to, well, Sendai Hill. Oh, well. Usagi was a big girl; she would get home alright. Shrugging, Ami turned and headed off. She didn't want to be late after all.

Mizuno Ami made her way down the road, turning onto the street where the "English extra help" tutor would be waiting for her. It was a quiet, residential street and a lot less crowded than the road she had just vacated. And yet, still she managed to almost run into someone on her way down the street. He seemed to appear out of nowhere, a tall man with dark green hair and piercing green eyes. On his shoulders was a little girl with pink pigtails and at his side an even littler boy with short blue hair. "Oh, excuse me, sir." Ami offered with an apology and a bow.

"Not a problem, Mizuno-san. I was actually hoping I would run into you." Takeshi explained with a warm smile, the smile of one who is speaking to an old friend.

"You were... have we... met?" Ami was perplexed at this greeting from the man. She was pretty sure she didn't know him and yet he greeted her as though they knew each other.

"Hai! Look what I can do!" Ami's attention was drawn by the words of the child riding upon the man's shoulders. She was a cute little girl with pink pigtails tied up like two little bunches of cotton candy up atop her head and a disarming smile with which she could just about get away with murder. "Luna-P!" With a call of her voice, she caused a little floating toy that very much resembled Luna to come out from behind her back and up into her hands.

"Watch! Watch what I can do!" She spun the toy on one hand, rolled it back over her arms and shoulder, and spun it in her other hand before tossing it up in the air. "Henge!" In a burst of smoke, the toy transformed into a little pink and white umbrella. "Watch!" She spun the umbrella around in a circle, creating a hypnotic swirl that quickly overtook the older girl. Once the effect was complete, little Usagi let the toy change back into her Luna Sphere. "Taadaa!"

"That is very good, Usa." Takeshi praised the little girl with a smile before gently pushing the little boy at his side foreword into Ami's sights. A bit uncertainly, the little boy looked up to lock his green eyes upon Ami's still slightly-dazed blue ones. "We enjoyed having Akemi after school today. Your brother is very bright. I hate to drop him off before your tutoring, but we have an appointment to get to today so we won't be able to look after him."

Mizuno Ami blinked rapidly a few times before she found herself starring down at a little boy who resembled her quite uncannily. Slowly, her memories adjusted to fit the little one in. "Oh, that is quite alright. We appreciate you watching him for us." Ami gave the man a polite bow before reaching out to take hold of her younger brother by the hand. The child gave her a smile before locking hands with her. "Come on, Akemi. I don't want to be late meeting Izuno-sensei."

"Hai," Six-year-old Akemi nodded his agreement and followed hurriedly after his newly dubbed 'elder sister.' It was going to be a little weird trying to remember to call his mother "Onee-sama" and his grandmother "Mama", but at least he got to be with his mother. That was a plus. The two of them arrived at Izuno-sensei's home and Akemi waited while his mother... eh, sister rang the doorbell. While they waited for the sensei to answer the door, Akemi looked up at Ami once again. "Ah, Onee-sama...?" he wondered, his tone soft and his cheeks flushed slightly.

"Hai?"

"I am glad I'm here with you. Aishiteru."

Ami smiled; sometimes she forgot how sweet her little brother could be. "I love you to, Akemi."

**Author's Note: **I won't promise that all of the chapters will come out this quickly, but getting four reviews in two days got me excited and made me want to keep on writing! As some of you may be able to tell, I am following the manga pretty close at the moment; that will likely start to change as the presence of the boys starts to affect the time line. I also realize not a lot really happened in this chapter. My main goal for this chapter was to start getting the boys placed in their new "homes" and establish where exactly we are in the story. The next chapter should hopefully prove to be a bit more "exciting." Let me know what you think, okay! Is the writing style alright? Enough detail... too much...? Am I boring you already? Please, read and review! :)


	3. Chapter 3: Call of the Phoenix

**My Shittennou: AU First Season Fic **

**Short Summary:** What if the events we have all come to know were never meant to be? What if something catastrophic went wrong back in Season 1? Can a group of youngsters preserve the future that was meant to be?

**Author's Notes: **I didn't get as far as I actually wanted to with this chapter, but I do not want to make you wait any longer to have a new chapter to read. I used this opportunity to do some character development for some of the boys and prepare to deviate from the canon storyline. I hope you guys are enjoying the story. In the near future, expect to see more battles, more Senshi and Shitennou romance, more character-development for the Senshi, Shitennou, and Chibi-Shitennou, and more fun! =) I hope you enjoy it!

**Chapter 3: Call of the Phoenix **

The door to the fire room opened with a loud thud. Heavy footsteps moved across the floor. Legs crossed. Lavender eyes burned as they starred deep into the flames. Muscles tensed as a sense of anticipation filtered through an open mind. Hands came together as if in prayer before moving fluidly through the nine familiar signs. "Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" The flames jumped and twisted like dancers on a ballroom floor. Focus. Focus. Focus! "Damnit...!"

"You can't force it, Akiyama." Akiyama's head snapped up at the sound of the familiar voice instructing him. Looking over his shoulder, the eight-year-old let his eyes meet up with Rei's matching ones. "You are too tense; you need to relax."

"I can't..." The young man grumbled bitterly as Rei took up a seat just behind him. Feeling the corners of his eyes threatening to tear up, Akiyama closed them stubbornly willing the tears away again. "How can I relax when I am worrying about...?" he trailed off at the last moment remembering Takeshi's warning. He couldn't tell his parents too much about the future. Firstly, it could have negative on the future... which was dumb since the future was done screwed up anyhow! But also, they also wouldn't have believed him if he did tell them.

"About what?"

"About..." Akiyama was a lot of things... stubborn, quick-tempered, a prankster, even a bit of a bully... but he was also a "mama's boy" as his friends liked to joke. He would deny it with a vengeance, but it was a true statement. He was very close to his mother and wasn't in a habit of lying to her. "About my family," he answered finally, his gaze returning to stare into the flickering flames. That wasn't a lie; it wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie. "Kanechi Ryuu, my... well... he was captured. Some bad people took him away like... a year ago and..."

"And you think the great fire may show you where he is?" Rei guessed.

"Something like that..." Akiyama nodded, his eyes shifting briefly back to Rei before returning again to the comforting dance of the flames. Something about the fire, it always made him feel safe... like the warm embrace of his mother. He never felt in danger when he sat here, starring deep into the flames. Nothing bad could happen so long as he was lost in them. "Ano... I have never sought the fire's visions without my Mama before... I'm... not sure I can do it."

"You just need to relax." Sliding up behind Akiyama, Rei took hold of his shoulders and pulled him back. This was the way she remembered Grandpa teaching HER how to relax and focus. If she didn't seek the great fire here and again, the visions showed up in her dreams and often frightened her. He had started with her when she was very young. As though he had experienced this before, the eight-year-old leaning himself back comfortably against the older girl's chest, his eyes focused forward into the flames. "There. Now, just breath... and watch the dance."

The dance. That was what Mama always called the way the flames moved. They flickered and jumped and twisted like the dancers during one of the queen's balls. "Mama used to say that." Starring into the gently flickering flames listening to his mother's heartbeat comfortably in her arms, there was no place he felt safer, even if she couldn't yet transform or use her powers. "You smell like Mama." Slowly but surely, his muscles relaxed and – with a quiet reminder from Rei – remembered to clear his mind so that outside thoughts wouldn't cloud out the visions.

The young man recrossed his legs and pulled himself up straight, still able to picture the flickering and dancing of the flame as he lightly closed his eyes. His mind opened. His hands came together to form the nine signs that were by now quite second nature to him. "Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" The flames jumped and twisted like dancers on a ballroom floor. His eyes closed tighter for but a brief moment before opening up again.

Within the flickering flames grew the image of a young man with soft blonde locks and fair skin lying in a hospital bed. Nearby, a middle-aged woman sat in a chair brushing her hands through his hair and talking to him. A nurse wandered in and checked the man's vitals, patting the woman's shoulder comfortingly before wandering out of view. The scene seemed normal. The face of the man on the bed seemed familiar. But... "how can that be?" The man on the bed was his father but then so was the one on the bus but they couldn't both be him! Could they?

"Perhaps later on we can go and check the local hospitals," Rei suggested, patting the boy's shoulder in much the way the nurse had done to the distraught woman at the hospital. She didn't intend to seem unconcerned, but right about that moment she felt a strange but powerful energy approach the temple. Outside, she could hear the sound of the crows – Phobos and Deimos – squawking out their warning to anyone who would listen. In a moment, Rei had risen to her feet, one hand resting over her chest. That feeling, that familiar feeling again. 'I sense something.'

Blinking, Akiyama turned to give her a quizzical glance, "What's wrong with your birds?"

"Wait here," Rei instructed. "I will go and check it out." The oriental beauty hurried to the door of the temple, all the while wondering what it was that might hold such power. It must be an evil spirit, perhaps even the one that had been plaguing her visions and her senses as of late. Arriving outside, Rei spotted Phobos and Deimos excited flitting around a unfamiliar person. It had finally shown itself! This was her chance to stop this thing, before anyone else got spirited away!

His curiosity getting the better of him, Akiyama rose to his feet and carefully follow Rei to the door of the temple. He knew his mother had a stronger sense that he did, but... if it had his mother this worked up, surely he should have sensed **something**, right? Besides, she had not _really_ meant for him to stay in _here_; she only meant that he should not get in her way. This decided, he crept over to the doorway and slide it open just a bit... just enough to peak out and see what it was that had gotten Rei all worked up. 'Why are Phobos and Deimos attacking?'

Sliding the door open a bit farther, Akiyama leaned forward struggling to hear what Rei was saying. "It has finally shown itself. I will not forgive you, evil spirit, for coming to my shrine in attempt to bring ruin to it." The young man's eyes opened wide as his mother pulled out one of her ofuda scrolls, the same type his mother would later use as the Sailor Senshi of Mars. So engrossed in the mini-battle was the young man that he didn't hear his friend slipping up on him until the older boy's footsteps were just a few steps away. Akiyama glanced briefly to Kanechi before returning his attention back to Rei. No way he was going to miss this...

"Evil Spirits Disperse!" came the cry as Rei tossed her scroll, affixing it to the forehead of a... teenage girl? Rei's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open a little as the pigtailed blonde collapsed under the power embedded in the scroll. 'H-huh? It was just a girl?!'

"Why is your mother attacking the queen?" Kanechi wondered, a curious frown gracing his young face as he watched the scene unfold. It was strange because there really was no way of identifying this teenager as the queen, for she seemed to have no energy signature that HE could detect and she surely didn't have the personality of a princess. But, the stars never lied and hers, although younger in this time period, he recognized as that of his queen.

"The queen? Her? How can ya tell?"

"I was listening to the stars when she came up here."

"Oh." Blinking, Akiyama threw the door open the rest of the way and came out to join his friend on the porch. Leaning over the railing, the young man called out loudly. "Is it safe to come out now?!" Without waiting for an answer, Akiyama ducked under the railing and ran out to check on the 'queen' up close. "How come you went and knocked her out like that? Did you two have a fight? Or did she just not know when to shut up?"

Remaining up on the porch, Kanechi watched as Rei lifted Usagi up into her arm and carried her into the temple, Akiyama close on her heels. The temple priestess stopped to stare at him briefly before continuing on inside. She did that quite often, especially when he was wearing 'that look' in his eyes. He had 'that look' a lot because he spent a lot of time seeking the stars, wanting to make sure his best friend was not going to fade out on him. Mamoru was his prince and the others boys were his brothers-in-arms but Akiyama was his best friend and Takeshi had made it clear. Jadeite was the first to die and if he did... Akiyama would fade from existence. The time was drawing near... dangerously near; he could feel it.

* * *

Waving a cheerful goodbye to Rei, Tsukino Usagi headed down the temple stairs with Luna close at her heels. Now Usagi had always been a naturally open and friend person, but the connection she felt with Mizuno Ami and now Hino Rei was something new altogether. Of course, in this early stage of her senshi career, she was still naïve enough not to think_ too_ much about it. Besides, she was too distracted trying not to listen to Luna's annoying lecture on the necessity of keeping up with her homework. She ought to do it the _moment_ she got home. "But Luna, I'm hungr..." Usagi trailed off as she neared her own house.

From inside, the sound of screaming could be heard. New as she was at this, Usagi still had enough sense to realize this 'senshi business' could potentially put her family in danger. Her heart skipped a beat as she broke out in a run, leaving Luna struggling to keep up. She arrived at the house, slamming open the door and entering the living room without so much thinking about removing her shoes first. "Mama, what...?!" she paused at the scene before her. A man stood there along with her mother and three young children: a pink-headed girl of perhaps six or seven, a blonde-headed boy of three or four and a raven-haired boy of roughly the same age.

The screaming came from the raven-headed boy who had thrown himself upon the living room floor, flailing and kicking and screaming at the top of his lungs while her mother attempted unsuccessfully to quiet him. "No, no, no, NO! You aren't my Mama! I want my Mama!" The child was on a roll. "I...don't wanna stay here! I don't want you! I...WANT...MY...MAMA!"

"I am really sorry about this, Aunt Ikuko!" The man in the room was attempting to make his apology heard over the impassioned screams of the child. "He has never been away from his parents before! I am sure once he calms down, he won't be any trouble at all!"

"Don't be silly, Takeshi-kun! You go on now; sticking around will just make him fuss longer!" Tsukino Ikuko reassured her "nephew" with a smile while shooing him towards the door with one hand. "Usagi, show your cousin to door!"

'Aunt?' Usagi wondered, confusion written plainly across her face. "But, Mama, we don't...!"

"USAGI!"

"Yes Maim," Usagi mumbled, reluctantly showing the strange man to the door. At his side, the pink-haired little girl followed along with a small floating device that looked at a lot like a blown-up version of Luna. Once they were outside and the door was shut, the odango-haired girl gave Takeshi a look of suspicion. "You aren't my cousin. I do not have any cousins." Yes, Usagi was naïve. Yes, she was clumsy, lazy, and a bit of a crybaby. But, she wasn't stupid either.

Wearing a neutral expression, Takeshi looked the young woman over thoughtfully. She wasn't yet his queen but someday she would be. He could let Chibiusa attempt to hypnotize her but his mother probably would not approve. Young though she may be, she was still their future queen. If the queen was anything, she was good at reading people. "No, I am not."

His honesty caused a look of shock to play across Usagi's face. She knew he wasn't really her cousin, but she hadn't really expected him to own up to the fact so easily. "Who are you then...?"

Takeshi hesitated briefly, running the various scenarios through his head before choosing the path he felt would be likely to have the best outcome. "Let's not beat around the bush... Sailor Moon. I know who you are and I know who you are searching for." Usagi's heart skipped a beat as did Luna's; she was dying to say something but she dared not risk confirming his claims. "I also know that those boys are in grave danger and they will be safe in your care." Takeshi turned his gaze onto the extremely suspicious feline. "I know of you too, Luna. You might as well go ahead and say whatever it is you are wanting to say."

Deciding the danger to her charge wasn't going to be any greater for it, Luna spoke up with authority and a slight hiss to her tone. "Now, you listen here. How do we know you are not with the enemy? This isn't a trap? Who are you and what do you know about the princess?"

"I know she is safe and in the care of the best possible guardian," Takeshi offered, a slight smile crossing his face which... of course... Luna did not reciprocate. If only she knew. "I am afraid there is only so much I can safely tell you. Suffice it to say that your 'princess' trust me enough to leave her daughter in my care. Looking down to the little girl with him, a twinkle lighting up his eyes, Takeshi suggested, "Why don't you show them, princess?"

A happy grin crossed the young lady's face as she nodded her agreement, moving in front of Takeshi directly facing Sailor Moon and Luna. With his much larger body to block the girl from view, the little princess was able to shift her form without worry of being seen. A small flash of light surrounded her, her play outfit replacing itself with her princess outfit as she dropped into a curtsey. "I am Princess Usagi Lady Serenity; it is a plea, ah- pleasure to meet you all." When her head raised again, her own tiny moon symbol had revealed itself upon her head.

Luna fell over with a thud, causing Small Lady to giggle in amusement as Usagi scooped the fallen feline. Her play outfit returned as she looked back up to her temporary guardian. "I want to stay with Sailor Moon too!" she announced hopefully. She knew she was supposed to stay in the future with her parents, but... it just wasn't fair that her 'brother' got to stay with Sailor Moon!

"I'm afraid not, Small Lady. Your parents want you back in the future."

"Aww... but Sailor Moon is my favorite senshi!" Small Lady fussed, grinning at the older girl. Usagi's lips curled slightly upwards; she could get to like this kid! "Tell him I can stay!"

"Wait, did you say the future?" Luna had finally woken up.

"The battle ahead of you will determine what future we return to." Takeshi answered, the tone of his voice heavy with the knowledge of all the lives that could potentially be lost in this battle. "And..." he wanted so badly to just come outright and tell her everything, but she wasn't ready for all that. A situation like this one had to be addressed 'precariously' and his mother even be happy with what he *did* end up saying. "The true enemy is the one behind them, the one you won't meet until last of all." Without waiting for a response or further questions, Takeshi disappeared along with the pink-haired child that had Usagi's hairstyle.

Usagi starred at the empty space for a long time before the sound of screaming inside the house finally drew her out of it. Someone needed to calm that child down before he made himself sick. With nothing else to do, she headed back into the house and into the living room where her frazzled mother was still attempting to calm down their new house guest. She gave Ikuko a smile to let her know she would take over so she could get back to her own work.

Shutting her eyes, she recalled something one of her old babysitters used to do that had seemed to work for her. She knelt down behind the child and started rubbing his back gently with one hand. At first it didn't seem to do any good but gradually, the child began to lose steam. The kicking and flailing slowed to a stop and the screams melted into sobs. Finally, he looked up to see who was with him. "You aren't Mama," he accused, tears still warm on his cheeks.

"No, I'm Usagi." Looking into his teary blue eyes, she tried to figure out who this child reminded her of. The image was just on edge of her mind but her brain refused to acknowledge the comparison. "I am sorry about your Mama; you will see her again soon," she assured him and was surprised when the child got up and crawled up into her lap, laying his hand up against her chest. She was surprised, but pleasantly, as she wrapped her arms around the now tired child. A warm feeling swept through her. She just couldn't figure out who was reminding her of . . . a man in regal attire . . . a name right on the edge of her mind, begging to be released. The image was slowly building inside her mind but . . .

A moment later, a tug on her sleeve caused her to look up. The second little boy, who had been pretty well content to settle into a chair and watch up to this point, stood their starring at her. With his blue eyes and soft blonde hair, he could have easily passed for her baby brother. "I'm Kaishou," he announced matter-of-factly. "I protect Mamoru-kun. Daddy said so."

"Tell you what; I will help you with that. Okay?" Usagi suggested with a smile.

"Alright." Kaishou grinned and nodded his agreement.

* * *

Entering the Great Fire room, Rei was... actually a bit surprised not to find Akiyama already in here. Since the two boys had arrived, they had been surprisingly non-troublesome. Akiyama spent nearly all of his time in front of the fire and she could usually count on finding Kanechi sitting cross-legged on his bedroom floor, starring out the window in a sort of trance, refusing to respond for anything. She didn't know why Grandpa hadn't thought to enroll the boys in school yet. Had she not been so wrapped on in her own personal problems or had she simply known them better, she might have been more concerned as to their less than common behavior.

As it was though, she DID have her own problems. Something was wrong. Something was coming. Something evil had been lingering near their temple. Sitting cross-legged before the Great Fire, she relaxed her mind and muscles before going through the familiar motions of her fingers. "Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" Her eyes opened and her dark lavender gaze starred deeply into the flames eager for whatever might be waiting for them. She didn't have long to wait for the image formed almost instantly... a man with unruly blonde hair similar to Akiyama's unruly black hair, laughing blue eyes, and an evil smirk upon his face.

A name flitted into the forefront of her mind. 'Jadeite.' Her eyes narrowed at the sight, the knowledge; this was the one, the evil force that had invade her temple. The vision continued and the next image needed no introduction; it was Usagi! Jadeite's image came near and grabbed the blonde-haired girl around the throat, intent on killing her. The girl's image shifted... a woman in a short skirt... Sailor Moon in her senshi outfit. "Usagi." Not waiting for anything further, Rei let the vision end as she climbed quickly to her feet and headed out the door at a sprint, out of the temple and down the steps, intent on finding Usagi and assuring herself of the girl's safety.

Down the steps and onto the sidewalk she went with only one thought on her mind. The only thing that could have stopped her was the sight of the Sendai Hill bus coming down the road, the man of her vision behind the wheel. That was him, but where was Usagi? Was she already on the bus? Was there still time to avert the vision she had seen in the flames? Her lavender eyes locked with Jadeite's deep blue as the bus slowed to a stop. Her heart beat faster; her feet moved of their own accord. Was that even possible, for a man to have that sort of power?

* * *

"It is time." Pluto's voice rang out smooth and calm in the empty void that was the time gates. It looked empty. It felt empty. One would have to hold the blood of the Pluto to see beyond the emptiness to the river of time that ever flowed through this realm.

"Hai." Takeshi turned to look at his mother. It was strange, working with her this way. Sure, she was cordial enough and even seemed glad for the company of someone that somewhat understood the loneliness of these halls. But, it wasn't the same. She wasn't the woman who had raised him, who would raise him... some day. "With any luck, you might remember me when this is all over," Takeshi offered, his half-smile revealing the stress this was all putting on him as lifted up the time staff and focused on his destination.

"I wish you luck." Pluto returned the man's smile as he disappeared from view but not from the senshi's notice, for she could still feel his presence as it sank down into the flow of time. It wasn't until after he was fully out of hearing range, however, she added, "For both our sakes." The senshi of time had never dared to dream that she might one day perform her duty in the company of family, for what were the odds of meeting anyone here? She dared not hope and interfering was out of the question. For now, all she could do was wait... and watch.

It took only moments for the Takeshi to re-appear in front of the temple. "Akiyama. Kanechi." Whether or not they had actually heard the call of his voice, the feel of the man's energy was enough to bring the two boys scurrying out of the temple and into the courtyard. Without a word, the Son of Pluto turned and led the boys over to the edge of the temple where they could look out over the railing, see everything that was occurring below...


	4. Chapter 4: Purifying Fire

**My Shittennou: AU First Season Fic **

**Short Summary:** What if the events we have all come to know were never meant to be? What if something catastrophic went wrong back in Season 1? Can a group of youngsters preserve the future that was meant to be?

**Author's Notes: **I suppose it goes without saying that I waited a very, VERY long time to update this one. To keep a long story short, college got crazy. I broke up with my boyfriend because I want a man, not a 27-year-old baby still groping after Mommy and Daddy's apron strings. I just moved so I would be closer to school and not have a 45-minute drive to school. On top of ALL that, I was adopted when I was 3-days-old and I FINALLY located my birth family! I spent the last few months getting to know them and, well, when I came back here to read a few fanfics, I found all your nice reviews and it got me interested in this story again! =D Yaa! So, hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review. :-)

* * *

**Chapter 4: Purifying Fire **

It took only moments for the Takeshi to re-appear in front of the temple. "Akiyama. Kanechi." Whether or not they had actually heard the call of his voice, the feel of the man's energy was enough to bring the two boys scurrying out of the temple and into the courtyard. Without a word, the Son of Pluto turned and led the boys over to the edge of the temple where they could look out over the railing, see everything that was occurring below...

Young eyes watched intently as Tsukino Usagi transformed herself into the form of a bus stewardess and launched herself up to catch hold of an open window of the departing bus, losing Luna in her struggle to pull herself up. They stared intently as Tuxedo Kamen appeared seemingly out of nowhere, just in time to catch the falling feline; in her rush to get away and contact Ami, Luna scratched the masked man and dashed off quickly down the sidewalk.

"Well, that was kind of rude. What'd she scratch him for?"

The quietly observant question nearly caused poor Akiyama to jump right out of his skin. Turning, he noted the blue-haired child who had spoken, Akemi, along with little Mamoru and Kaishou. Six-year-old Akemi had moved up next to Akiyama and was grasping the rails and leaning forward to look down at the happenings down below. "How the heck did you get here?!"

"Mamo-kun brought me," Akemi offered with a shrug, as though this were the most normal thing in the world and not something worthy of second thought.

Akiyama looked back to his prince and blinked. The raven-haired four-year-old said nothing except to stare at him, a faint hue of gold covering his eyes like a thin cloud. An intent, thoughtful look colored those mysterious baby blues as he starred back, the faintest look of concern the only thing to reveal itself from behind their depths.

Just behind and to the right of him, Kaishou stood there, in the perfect guarding position, biting into his lower lip, not bothering to hide the worry in his eyes. "Aki-kun, you look funny."

Blinking again, Akiyama looked down to his hand and gasped. Already, his hands were beginning to look hazy. He could just about see right through them. "Takeshi-sama!" The boy turned a frightened gaze upon the adult of the group, not at all comforted to find him standing there with his eyes closed, not seeming the slightest bit aware of the goings on around him. "Don't you care at all? I don't wanna die yet! Takeshi-sama!"

"Be quiet." Takeshi's voice was sharp and pointed and reminded the boy a little bit of his mother… or maybe Kunzite-sama. "You are going to draw attention to us."

Akiyama hiccupped past the urge to cry. He wouldn't cry. Kunzite-sama never cried. Besides, it would scare his younger brothers. He bit back another hiccup as he felt a small hand lock up with his own. Looking down, he found little Mamoru holding onto him. "I-I'll be okay."

"Yeah, you'll be okay." Mamoru agreed, sounding a lot more certain than Aki felt.

Finally, Takeshi opened his eyes. "Alright… now…" Bringing his time-space staff into his outstretched hand, the son of Pluto moved it once in a circle. A large black-hole feeling strongly of plutonian energy appeared in front of them. "Akiyama, you and Akemi, do not speak with the Senshi. Just get your father and contact me on the communicator. I'll get you out."

"Just us?"

"Just you."

Akiyama gulped visibly before feeling the prince's hand tighten around his own. Looking down, the eight-year-old forced a smile. "I'll be okay," he repeated again, though whether he was trying to reassure his prince or himself, even he wasn't really sure. "Come on, Akemi." He reached out to take the younger boy's hand only to be scolded.

"Don't touch me." Akemi told him stiffly, already busy fighting back the tears pressing at the edge of his eyes. All around him, the feel of his brother's projected emotions poured over him: concern, fear, uncertainty. "You'll make me scared." How was he supposed to be brave when his brothers were all so clearly concerned? There were other emotions though: determination and love. He'd focus on those; focus on the good ones, like Venus had taught him.

Akiyama blushed at the accusation, "Right. I forgot." Akemi was a weird one; that was for sure. Big crowds gave him bad headaches that made him cry a lot and if you held onto him when you were upset or angry or scared, he said that your emotions 'overwhelmed him'… whatever the hell that meant. "Let's go." Letting out a deep breath, he took charge and headed off, Akemi close at his heels, straight into the 'hole' Takeshi had created for them.

* * *

Back in Beryl's dark palace, Jadeite found himself surrounded by the unconscious bodies of those he had kidnapped. Many, many people had entered his bus, traveling away from Sendai Hill, but only one truly caught his attention. Something about that girl with her raven-colored hair pooled about her exotically-toned body; it drew his attention… pulled at something near the edge of his mind. 'She's so beautiful. I have been attracted to this girl since the moment I first saw her.' Reaching out, he let his fingers slip through her long raven locks, all the while pondering over the memories… tugging… right near the edge of his mind… just out of reach... 'So familiar… like I have seen her somewhere once before… only I can't remember…'

"Moon Prism Power, Make-Up!"

Jadeite looked up just in time to see a flash a light reveal the presence of his most recent enemy. "You've finally come here, Sailor Moon." That's right…those pathetic people of Earth; he was supposed to be draining out their energy… to give to their great leader. As quickly as they had begun to surface, the memories buried themselves once again, down in the deepest recesses of his mind. He smirked as Sailor Mercury pointed him out. Forgetting why he had been so attracted to the young woman to begin with, he lifted her up and wrapped a single arm around her throat as though to strangle her. "That's right, over here!"

Jadeite was rewarded by the look of fear on the pigtailed senshi's face. "Let go of Rei right now! I won't forgive you for locking up innocent people in a horrible place like this!" Seriously, this place was giving her the creeps! "In the name of the moon, I, Sailor Moon, will punish you!"

'That voice…' Struggling against Jadeite's more-powerful hold, Rei knew, somehow, she had heard that voice someplace before… someplace recently and… not so recently. 'Usagi…?'

"Mercury Aqua Mist!" While Sailor Moon distracted the man with her speech, the blue-haired senshi of Mercury powered up her attack and sent it off. "Sailor Moon, you've got to act to save Rei while the fog is really dense!" Mercury told her friend and battle-companion urgently, not wanting her to delay long enough for…

Both senshi gasped as Jadeite affected the temperature in the area, causing the foggy mist to change forms, solidifying itself into little pieces of hail that fell tinkling to the ground. "That's sweet…" Jadeite mocked them bemusedly, the overconfident smirk on his face growing larger.

"The fog has totally cleared!" Sailor Moon balked, unable to believe her eyes. "It's all just turned into hail! It's no use! I knew it, I just knew it. Luna, I can't do this at all!" Tears pooled in her eyes as she feared the worst. Really, she had only been to a handful of battles thus far. She had no idea WHAT she was doing and most of the time she just *barely* got out of it with her life still in her! Luna acted like she was supposed to just 'magically' know what she was supposed to do… the way Mercury seemed to. What made Luna think she could…?

In her ears, the moon senshi could hear Luna's voice coming out of either of her earrings. There wasn't really time to ponder why the earrings could do that, for Luna was already barking orders. What else was new? "Don't cry! For goodness sake, Usagi, don't cry, you'll emit your supersonic waves and destabilize the alternate dimension you're in, and then you won't be able to save anyone!" This frightened the poor girl enough to make her sniffle back her tears, but she still didn't know what any of her weak attacks was going to stop this man! "Usagi, attack the enemy your tiara!" Luna scolded.

'Well, if you have all the answers, why don't YOU get out here and do this?' Usagi grumbled inwardly as she reached up for her tiara, praying Luna was right and this would, in fact, work for her. "Moon Tiara Boomerang!" At least THIS part came naturally. Why couldn't the rest of it?

"You think this little thing will stop me!" Jadeite sneered as reached up a single hand to shield himself. In one quick gesture, he had caught the tiara in his hand and was holding it back. What he wasn't expecting was for the tiara to expand and wrap itself around his body. The attack had him fast. He'd have to buy a few moments to find a way of escape. Holding his cool, he starred the senshi down. His eyes grew wider as he focused on projecting his energy, throwing both senshi backwards and roughly to the ground.

Of course, he *also* had not counted on the temple priestess intervening. One stick from one of of Hino Rei's Ofuda Scrolls and the man was effectively immobilized. This… was not good. He hated to do it, but… he could always count on his brother to have his back, even in a dark place like this. Nephrite… he tried calling out in his mind, but… everything that happened next happened so fast… Nephrite had no TIME to stop the attack.

"Now Ami, use that pen I gave you earlier!" Once again, Luna's voice was coming in through the communicators built into the earrings. "All of our hopes are depending on you using it now!"

Mercury tossed the pen. The pen began to glow with a bright red light, resonating with the symbol of Mars appearing on Hino Rei's forehead. Jadeite knew that symbol… somewhere. In a flash of fiery energy, the Senshi of Mars appeared… as did her two crows. "Phobos! Deimos Attack!" The two birds attacked circled and attacked the man as Sailor Mars called out loudly, "Evil Spirits Disperse!" They could see the man's body caught fire just before a wall of fire flared up to surround him, obscuring the man from view.

* * *

The two boys transformed in route, each appearing in an armored outfit similar to the ones their fathers would later were in serving Endymion, but tented in the color of their mother's planet. Moving quickly through Takeshi's portal, the boys gained visual just in time to see Sailor Mars' getting ready to attack. "Mars Fire Shield!" With his heart ponding in his ears, Akiyama tried to move in time to stop his mother's attack from hitting. The fire came up in a circle, surrounding Jadeite and then so quickly that Mars and her companion, distracted as they were by the imminent collapse of the dimension they were in, never did see the boys there.

Unfortunately, Akiyama had been counting on a straight-forward attack. He had NOT counted on the ofuda scroll burst into flames, engulfing his father in flames and causing the man to cry out with the pain of it. "No!" Akiyama cried out. Tears leaked down the sides of his face as he dropped his shield and turned back to the senshi. If he could tell them, beg them, they could surely put out the flames, before… before… Akiyama body was already growing thin again, and by the time he dropped the shield again, the senshi and the bus patrons were both gone.

Pressing his lips together, Akemi took in the scene about him while his brother first attempted to stop the attack and then tried to turn to the adults who quickly abandoned them here. He grimaced at the feelings of pain and fear coming from both Jadeite and his son. Neither really thought they were going to survive. But he didn't have time to focus on that. They needed an answer, and quickly… or else his brother was gone forever. He thought hard; he thought quickly.

'I know!' Akemi and the rest of his "brothers" were effectively new at this whole "Shitennou" bit, only having gained the position upon Prince Mamoru's fourth birthday. As such, it was still fairly common occurrence for Akemi to screw up his attack. He was supposed to make ice crystals… like his daddy. But, if he didn't handle the energy right, it didn't hold its form. Instead, it melted into slush, forming what was effectively… a powered-up ball of snow.

'Well, here's hoping I DON'T do this right.' Focusing his energy, Akemi pooled it all in his hands and pointed it towards the enflamed man. "Zoi…!" The energy formed into a large number of ice crystals flying in the man's direction. "Uh, oh…" Akemi let his energy drop, shutting his eyes to throw off his focus. It worked! The attack melted down, dropping a layer of snowy slush on top of the man. "Akiyama, get the scroll! Before it starts up again!"

"Daddy!" Wearing a look like he was close to being ill, Akiyama rushed at the collapsed man grabbing the scroll just as it threatened to set on fire once again. "No, stop!" he demanded. The symbol of his planet, a combination symbol of Mars with the symbol of Earth engraved behind it appeared on his forehead as he attempted to control his mother's attack. Thankfully, his right of birth alone was enough to allow him to do this. The scroll died off as he yanked it from the man's body. "Dad! Are you alright?! Dad!"

Pulling out his communicator, Akemi pressed the button for Takeshi. "Keshi-sama, Get us outta here!"

* * *

As the trio appeared in a secluded part of the temple, it was hard to tell who was more pale: Jadeite or his son. The man had collapsed, not surprisingly, in the face of almost being burned to death. His breaths came in ragged forced and his grey-blue eyes washed out with a combination of confusion and pain. Groaning, he turned his attentions to the raven-headed child sobbing at his side. His young face was pale as a sheet, showing an expression between pain, fear, and disgust at the sight of the man so badly injured. On top of that; it was strange but… he could just about see straight through him, so the man had to wonder if he was REALLY seeing him at all.

Also around him were Akemi, Kanechi, Kaishou, and of course Takeshi, all of whom wore varying expressions of shock or uncertainty or pain at what they saw. Akemi had his hands pressed to either side of his head and his eyes closed tight, tears leaking out through them as he tried to filter out the emotions of those around him. Kanechi was watching Akiyama with sadness in his eyes, just certain he was about to lose his best friend. Kaishou hovered near Kanechi, a look of uncertainty in his young gaze. "Is he going to die?" he wondered, the only one brave enough to come right out and ask the question.

Takeshi just looked helpless, "It… does not look good."

Hovering slightly behind the group, four-year-old Mamoru studied the sight thoughtfully. Inside, his little stomach churned in a way that sort of threatened to make him ill. Swallowing hard, he reached up to rest his hand over his chest. 'You'll know how to use it when you need it' he remembered his father telling him.

A look of determination appeared on his face as he stepped up closer, placing a hand lightly on Akemi's shoulder; the older boy looked up, an expression of relief on his face as he was able to focus in on his prince and off of the emotional energy hovering around him. Somehow, he could always count on his prince to help him pull his empathic "gift" under control. Akemi smiled gratefully as little boy nodded and moved past him.

Sitting upon his knees, little Mamoru reached up to tug the chain about his neck. It was a subtle thing and typically unnoticed by all except those who actually knew it was there. At the end of this chain, hidden under his shirt, was the Kinzuishou. His father had given it to him upon his fourth birthday, telling him that "he would need it" and "he would know how to use it when he needed it." Nothing more. Holding it out in his hands, he pushed his thoughts out into the crystal in his hands, 'If you can't do something, my brother and Daddy's brother both will go away. So, show me what I need to do to save them.'

As though of its own accord (and perhaps it actually was), the Kinzuishou lit up with a soft golden glow surrounding the body of the prince and that of the man laying upon the ground before him. The strange yet somehow familiar feeling washed over the man, relieving both the pain in his body and the darkness in his mind as though it had never existed. His grey-blue turned to stare at the child who utilized such a power. For a moment, he swore he saw someone else entirely. And finally, he knew who it was. "Endymion…?" he wondered softly.

Somewhat unexpectedly, when the golden light disappeared, it took the newly restored Shitennou with it. Akiyama's form also flickered out, briefly, before returning again, solid this time. "Dad! He's… he's gone!" Akiyama gasped groping at the area where the man had disappeared, as though he could somehow bring him back by doing so.

"Akiyama, calm down," Takeshi scolded gently, reaching over to place a hand on the boy's shoulder and squeeze lightly. "Your father is fine."

"But…but… where IS he?" Akiyama demanded.

"I… don't know exactly. I will have to return to the gates and speak with my mother, but he has to be alive somewhere or you would not be here."

"So… he's okay?"

"He's okay." Takeshi reassured him. "Now, I have to get Akemi and Mamoru and Kaishou back where they belong before someone really starts missing them… or stops missing them." With a wave of his staff, Takeshi disappeared with the three younger boys leaving only Kanechi and Akiyama behind. "I will check for your father as soon as I get to the gates and speak with Pluto."

As the rest of the group disappeared, the sound of voices ascending the temple steps reached over to the place where the two boys remained. Akiyama rose to his feet. One of those voices, he recognized quite well. His hands balled into tight fists, his body trembling ever so slightly as that fiery flame that lived inside of him began to boil over.

"Aki-kun…?" Kanechi questioned, reaching out to place a hand upon his friend's shoulder.

Akiyama shrugged the hand away. "She… tried to kill my dad…" he answered, anger sneaking out through his gritted teeth as the thought sank itself down deeper in his stomach. The energy building up inside him, the young man's birthmark – the symbol of Mars with the earth symbol overlaid around and behind it – flared up on his forehead as he let out an angry yell.

Unlike Chibiusa after him, he did not give off a 'beam of energy' but the scream was enough to bring Rei and her two friends running in that direction, "Aki-kun, what in the world…?" Getting no answer at first, she proceeded with, "Is everything okay?"

"Don't… call me that…" Akiyama growled through gritted teeth. His birthmark having died off of his forehead, he turned around to face her. Hino Rei wore a look of surprise and confusion as the young man gave her a look fit to kill, stormed over, and stamped down on one of her feet declaring angrily, "I hate you!" He then turned and ran off towards the temple fire room, before she could so much as inquire into WHAT had possessed the boy to react that way.

Still nursing the foot Akiyama had stamped down upon, Rei turned to give Kanechi a questioning look. Really, she was too shocked to even be angry at the moment. Kanechi starred back at Rei uncertainly for a moment; then turned to run off after his brother. "Aki, wait up!"

* * *

Across town on the third floor of Tokyo General Hospital, a woman in her late 30s entered a sterile hospital room she had long since memorized. It was not a single, but rather, a four bed set-up. She and her husband were plenty well off that they could have feasibly afforded to put their comatose son up in a room of his own. The doctors claimed her boy was brain dead, him and the three friends her had been found with, but she wouldn't believe it. She wouldn't . . . she couldn't believe it.

It took just over two months for one of the other boys' families to give up… pull the plugs… and they did. But WHEN they did, the body did not die. It gave them hope. Two months later, another of the families lost hope… pulled the plug… the same thing happened. As though linked by some deep connection, the bodies of those disconnected continued to live on… so long as at least one of them retained life support. It was the sort of magic that had long since been lost on the earth, the sort of magic that bonded four men as brothers, in service to their prince.

But . . . this woman did not know anything about that. She didn't even know all that much about medicine. All she knew was her son could not be dead; he couldn't be. She would not let him die… not so young. And if what they said was true and her son was somehow "connected" to this other men, then… she could not allow them to die either. So, she convinced her husband to pay for ALL of them… so the families of those who could NOT afford to continue such expensive treatment would not give up… risk both their son and hers.

The beds were set up in a sort of 'square' formation with two against one wall and two more against the opposite wall. Her son's bed was closest to the door; a small chair was pushed up beside it where she often sat and talked to him. "Masato…?" she questioned, a forced smile coloring her voice as she took a seat and reached out to take hold of his hand. He hadn't moved it since the last time she was here. "It's mother… I am sorry I haven't seen you in a few days; your father took me on a special trip… our anniversary and all."

Santorin Melaka had been there for about twenty-five minutes, telling her son about her trip and holding his hand and just listening to the steady sound of the machines. The steady clicks and beeps and other such things were a sound she had grown used to over the past year. She knew them so well; she almost didn't hear them any well. She knew them so well that… a change in the sounds caused her head to snap up suddenly.

Her breath caught in her throat as her green eyes turned to her son's machines… not that she could actually read them. There was no difference that SHE could see. She looked back to her son, hopeful and fearful, both at the same time. "Masato…? Can you hear me…? Can you hear me baby?" She squeezed his hand tightly, and… nearly jumped right out of her skin when the sound of a hoarse gasp came to her ears. It wasn't coming from her son though; rather, it was coming from the bed directly next to his… a blonde-haired boy by the name of Kanedai Ryuu.

The sudden change from painfully burned skin to the warm embrace of the Kinzuishou had been a welcome feeling for it had reminded his prince though there had been _something_ odd about it. The feeling of going from the warm embrace of what he recognized as Endymion's energy into what was essentially a cold and somewhat stiff body, however, was neither welcomed nor expected. It was cold and it was foreign and it came with a mind full of memories long since left behind. The effect was a shock to his system, confusion, and a stress headache.

As the spirit reengaged with the body it had left behind, the body slowly began to wake up, taking over its own functions. At first, he just felt stiff and couldn't bring himself to move at all. The sensation brought a memory to his mind, the last one he had experienced in this body… being ripped from his body and suddenly finding himself unable to move. His breathing quickened as he tried harder and harder until he managed to bring himself up to full consciousness. His legs kicked as though trying to escape the covers laid over him. His arms jerked and then sort of flailed as they suddenly found themselves able to move.

Finally, his grey-blue eyes shot open wide as he took in a large gasp of air only to start choking on the breathing tube set down his throat for the past almost twelve months. He never even notice Melaka, not even when she bent over to press the button on the side of her son's bed, the one necessary to call the nurses in. He was too busy coughing and trying to extract the tube from his throat so he could speak – and breathe – for himself. He finally managed to get the tube out right about the time the nurses finally got into the room… and his first words in almost year? "That crazy ass woman almost killed me!"

Attempting to talk him down, the nurse attempted to reassure him while pushing the Melaka back behind her protectively. "I promise no one here is trying to kill you…"

Jadeite turned at the voice, actually seeming rather surprised to see the nurse there with the other woman pushed behind her. "Not HER! Where's…" Starting to become more oriented to the change in surroundings (and the change in body), Jadeite paused to catch his breath. It was really only then, as he began to come back to himself, that he realized… he had NO idea where he was… or how the hell he had gotten here in the first place. Looking around, he saw three more beds in the room, a man asleep in each one. By the time the doctor got to the room, the initial look of fear and disorientation had faded into one of pure confusion. "Where am I…?"

The doctor assigned over this case was Dr. Mizuno Seiko, also the mother of Mizuno Ami. Entering the room behind the others, Dr. Mizuno made her way around the bed and over towards the now quite obviously wide-awake and at least semi-coherent young man. After giving the chart in her hand a quick once-over, she looked back to Jadeite and explained gently. "Kanedai Ryuu… you are in Tokyo General Hospital. You and your friends were found in an alleyway, badly injured. Do you remember?"

"Kanadai…Ryuu? That… sounds familiar…"

* * *

Later on that same day, Hino Rei finished visiting with her new companions and… battle partners and sent them on their way. With that done, her mind went back to her two young 'houseguests' and the outburst she had experienced earlier. Things had been quiet for a while so it could be that Akiyama had calmed down from… whatever the hell had gotten into him. In the hallway, she pondered heading down to the boys' room to check on them, but… sounds coming from her own caught her attention. Pausing, she listened closer. It WAS coming from her room.

Pushing the door open, the raven-haired beauty paused in shock. From what she could see just inside the doorway, the enter room had been torn to pieces. Bed sheets and pillows were everywhere but on the bed. The drawers and the closet were both emptied out, the contents of which were strewn throughout the room. Comic books were strewn throughout the room. In fact, the only things that seemed untouched were a few breakables and a stack of ofuda scrolls she had worked on the evening prior, which still sat neatly where she had left them. Her first reaction was utter shock but anger quickly took over when she spotted the raven-haired child sitting on his knees in a corner, muttering aloud to himself while in the process of shredding a comic book. "Akiyama!" she belted the boy's name angrily. "WHAT do you think you are doing in here?!"

Not even startled by the sudden outburst, Akiyama ripped the last page out of the comic book as he responded rudely, "It's none of your business. You AREN'T my Mama at all! And…" Pulling up the worst thing he could think of, he yelled, "You can go to hell."

The priestess hands bawled in fist briefly which she squeezed tightly and then released. With only her fondness for the child and her utter shock at the sudden change in personality – from sad and confused to angry and insubordinate – keeping her from strangling him right there, Rei quite stiffly informed him, "It IS my business, Akiyama. What I OUGHT to do is tear your backside for speaking that way BEFORE making you clean up this mess!"

Getting to his feet, the boy looked her straight in the eyes, not withering in the slightest under a look that would and actually had sent older men running the other way, he dared her with a haughty, "Try me." His eyes flickering towards the doorway, the boy made a break for it.

As though she had actually done this before, Rei reached out and got a firm hold of the back of the boy's shirt as he tried to move past her. Scooping him up around the middle, she carried him over to the bed, listening to him protest the entire way, and sat down on the edge. She didn't even really bother to question if she really ought to be doing this to someone ELSE'S child; it just sort of seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Tsukino Usagi would instill a LOT of patience in the Martian soldier prior to her having children and even THEN she wouldn't be one to tolerate nonsense and disrespect. Planting him over her lap, she proceeded to warm the boy's backside until he stopped struggling and was crying instead. Setting him back on his feet, she question, "NOW, do you want to tell me WHAT possessed you to tear up this room and speak to me in that tone?!"

Tears pouring down either side of his face, Akiyama took in a couple of deep breaths before he could bring himself to speak again. Finally though, he answered softly "Hai, Rei-san, I want to tell you why I did it." Rei let out a sigh of relief; now, maybe she would find out WHAT was going on with this kid. His eyes were trained downward as he reached out to snake a hand around her wrist, pulling it closer to himself. Leaning down closer… he BIT her… hard.

Smart enough to back out of the way as the older girl cried out in surprise and rose to her feet, Akiyama met her gaze with a burning glare. "I did it 'cause I hate you. I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU!" His hands bawled into fist, his body physically trembled from the temper that would likely get him into trouble in later years if he didn't gain some control over it. On his forehead, the mark of his planet appeared… quite likely the only thing that kept his MOTHER's temper from going off as well. She stood there and starred at him until he turned and bolted.

Running from the room, Akiyama headed out of the building and straight down the temple steps, down the sidewalk and out of sight. The symbol died off his forehead again but redness on his cheeks and the tears coming from his eyes continued. Too distracted by his own emotions to really be paying attention, he crossed into the street only to be startled by the honk of a car horn. "Huh…? Yaaa!" Shutting his eyes, he came very close to getting hit before he felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around him, knocking him out of danger's way.

The pair landed on the sidewalk nearby with Akiyama on top to land on the padding that the older body provided. Still catching his breath, Chiba Mamoru pushed himself up onto one knee still holding tightly to the shaken child as traffic resumed its normal course. Before he could even consider questioning the boy on who he was and if he was alright, the child snaked his arms around his neck and broke down crying again. "I…WANT….my…DAD!"

Mamoru frowned. For as little experience as he had with them, he was usually pretty good with kids… but they usually weren't completely hysterical either. Wrapping his arms around the boy, he just held him and said nothing at first. And then… the sensation of the boy in his arms caused images to appear within his mind… a memory long since forgotten…

Chiba Mamoru had been seeing a lot of visions lately, most of which occurred when he was asleep. Then, he dreamt himself a prince standing before a balcony. From there, he looked up and saw a princess (cliché right?) calling out to him. The Ginzuishou… find the Ginzuishou. Not all that surprisingly, he saw him as the prince again. Only this time, he was standing outside a different palace entirely, one he could see clearly. Once again, he found himself starring up at a balcony late at night, only instead of seeing the princess up there, he saw a blonde-headed man coming down the wall after him. The man's foot slipped and he let out a surprised, "Whoa!"

From up on the balcony, a second man leaned over to scold him. The man had long brunette-colored hair that stopped around his shoulder and a frustrated look in his eyes. "Jadeite… keep it down! Do you want to wake the whole palace?"

From his precarious position holding on between the balcony and the wall, Jadeite grumbled an off-handed, "Yeah, yeah…" Releasing his hold on the balcony, he dropped down to the ground. Looking him, he gave his prince an unabashed grin, "I meant to do that…"

"Jadeite…" Mamoru returned to reality to find the little boy still in his arms, still sobbing over his want for his father. Rubbing Akiyama's back comfortingly, Mamoru reassured him with a determined, "Don't worry. We will find him."

Sniffling back his tears, the boy looked up at him hopefully, "You promise?"

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I am going to be really disappointed if I don't get some good reviews from this chapter, because it has proven to be my favorite one yet! A lot has happened in just a little bit of time. I got to do some real character development with Akiyama, got Jadeite back in his own body, and brought the prince into the act. In case it isn't clear, I will probably focus on each Chibi-Shitennou at the same time I am focusing on his father. I do apologize for the long wait and I hope this chapter proved to be worth it. :-) I'll try to get started on the next one very soon.

Soaring Starlight~~


	5. Chapter 5: Firebird of Mars

**My Shittennou: AU First Season Fic **

**Short Summary:** What if the events we have all come to know were never meant to be? What if something catastrophic went wrong back in Season 1? Can a group of youngsters preserve the future that was meant to be?

**Author's Notes: **Okay, so, I am pretty much focusing largely on Jadeite, Akiyama, and Mamoru in this chapter. There is also a very brief candid appearance of my own version of "Chibi-Mars." I am seriously contemplating bringing my own Chibi-Senshi into some later fics, but they will *not* be getting major parts in this one… beyond a few candid snapshots. The other Shitennou and Chibi-Shitennou will get their turn as well, so don't worry. I am just taking my time doing some character development and such for each of the characters rather than trying to cram ALL of them into each and every chapter. It'll make for a longer story, but… anyway, hope you enjoy it! Please, if you can, take the time to read and review and give me some feedback on this. :-)

PS: 10 points to whoever can pick out the *other* character that made a subtle appearance! =D

* * *

**Chapter 5: Kaida, Firebird of Mars**

'Nephrite…' He'd heard it in his mind, the younger man calling out to him for help. It was the last discernible word he had heard from his younger brother-in-arms, from Jadeite. After that, the sound had trailed off into a pained cry before the connection severed all together. It was not like Jadeite to ask for help when he did not need it; he had a proud streak that rivaled Nephrite's own. If he was calling him, then something was seriously wrong. He'd used the crystal orb to discern his brother's location, something he had to do before he could teleport over there. However, he had only arrived in time to see his brother disappear behind the wall of flames. Within minutes, his energy signature was gone completely, the stars themselves refusing to locate it again.

His brother was dead… that he didn't doubt and yet… it couldn't be possible. He felt within him a twinge of an emotion that was not very common within the recesses of the Dark Kingdom. However, as the crystal orb followed the movements of the Sailor Senshi, laughing and congratulating themselves on their successful victory, this feeling quickly gave way to anger. "I can't believe they've beaten Jadeite! He's one of us, one of the Shitennou!" How could a bunch of silly little girls possibly…?! One hand balling into a fist; he turned around and punched the pillar behind him angrily, only then noticing the presence of the youngest Shitennou.

The somewhat feminine-looking man, the feminism due in large part to the fair, wavy locks of hair falling down to twice the length of Nephrite's own, starred back at him with a mixture of surprise and sadness in his eyes. "He's… really gone? he questioned, though he already knew the answer, but – like Nephrite – Zoisite couldn't believe Jadeite was truly gone.

Reaching out, Nephrite placed a heavy hand on his younger brother's shoulder. In the closest thing to comfort he would be able to offer in his present state of mind, he reassured him, "Don't worry, Zoisite. I am going make them pay. The Sailor Senshi will regret the day they ever HEARD of the Shitennou!" Drawing back, he punched the pillar a second time, hard enough to make it shake. 'They are going to pay for killing my brother…' Anger and hated swirled inside of him as he swore revenge on those who dared harm one of the chosen four.

* * *

** Crystal Tokyo, 30th Century **

King Endymion was sitting at the desk in his office, a treaty sitting on the table in front of him. Almost 900 years after their kingdom had first begun early in the year 2000, the Golden Kingdom of Terra had managed to stretch the borders of their kingdom throughout most of the galaxy. They were almost as large as the Silver Millennium before them and had stretched their borders the same way Queen Selenity had, by an ever-growing network of alliances spreading into every sector of the galaxy. The treaty in front of him would allow a young planet, just recently having joined the ranks of those aware of and advanced enough to reach out to life on other planets, to join their ever-growing alliance.

Unfortunately for the planet in question, the request of one small planet was the absolute last thing on the king's mind at that moment. Instead, he was thinking about the mission going on in the 20th century. The future of so many rested on the shoulders of those so young. Would they manage to restore his men and their families to him? After all this time, it seemed like little more than a dream but he couldn't help getting his hopes up. If this mission was a success, he would soon see them, all four of them, right …

The king's thoughts were soon interrupted by a surge of energy similar to that which had caused the earlier disturbance just a few days before, only this time it was closer. It was as if the source of it were happening right there in his office. The energy rippled, shaking everything in its path, before settling into a single spot. The king rose to his feet, drawing out his weapon as a red and gold light flashed in the middle of the room. The sight he saw surprised the king so much, that it caused him to drop his weapon. The sound of metal clanging upon the floor echoed throughout the room.

"Now, you know better than to lose your weapon. Kunzite would have your ass if he saw you right now." An old familiar smirk crossed the face of the blonde that had there appeared.

Endymion laughed heartily. "Jadeite!" Not really able to help himself, the king came over and wrapped his arms around his old friend. Truly, he had hardly even dared to hope, after all this time, his old friends… his brothers might return to him.

"Whoa. What…?" Jadeite's grey-blue eyes went wide in surprise. He might expect something like that from his younger brother, but Endymion had never been as 'touchy-feely' as all that and Jadeite was even less so, though not quite as stiff as Kunzite. Taking hold of either of Endymion's arms, the blonde pushed him back at arm's length and looked him over quizzically, looking for some kind of explanation for the odd behavior. "Endymion-kun, have you been possessed by Zoisite?!" Jadeite reached up to place the back of his palm on the back of his prince's forehead, as though checking for a fever.

Endymion laughed again although it was clear to him that Jadeite remembered nothing of having disappeared from existence. Growing more serious, he attempted to explain things to his friend. "Jadeite, we have… had a problem. Someone went back to the 20th century and… sold you Nephrite and Zoisite and Kunzite out to Beryl. You were captured before you ever awakened… died fighting against the senshi. Meioh Takeshi took your sons – and mine – back to the past to try and fix things. We just now managed to get *you* back."

"Someone… did WHAT?!" Jadeite balked at this information. Had the news been coming from anyone else, he may well have assumed it some kind of humorless joke. But, his prince looked so certain, so serious, so relieved to have him there. "Why…? How…? Who?! You mean… Nephrite and Zoisite and Kunzite are not here?"

"Not that I know of, no." Endymion shook his head, frowning distinctly. "So far as anyone recalls, you have been dead for almost 1,000 years. If Meioh Takeshi and your sons had not shown up, we would not have known there was a problem."

"Well…damn." Jadeite really wasn't sure what else to say. "You really don't remember us being around… all this time? Rei didn't get with someone else, did she?!"

Endymion smiled a bit sadly at this. "No, none of the senshi ever married."

Jadeite frowned, not sure whether to be happy or upset at this news. His heart was pounding quickly in his chest as he pondered the many implications of this. Would he and Rei have to start over from square one? Would she still make the same decision she had in the past *he* remembered? What of the children the two of them had had together?

Thinking back over the last 1,000 years, the king attempted to recall any sort of memory of Jadeite beyond having fought him when he was working for Beryl. Then, it came to him. "The masquerade… you were there, weren't you?"

Coming out of his thoughts, Jadeite blinked, "What masquerade?"

"The masquerade party for Princess D… that was the first time I saw you, after you quit working for Queen Beryl." The memory came up in Endymion's mind, like something he had always known but yet forgotten. "The boys must have managed to save you."

Jadeite thought back and suddenly, it came to him as well. "Yeah… that's right. I think… it was just right after I got out of the hospital, and my parents were still afraid to let me out of their sight. So, they dragged me with them to attend Princess D's party…" Jadeite shook his head. Try as he might, his memory of that time period remained hazy and clouded. "What I want to know is WHO did this? Who the hell would sell us out to Beryl?" The blonde frowned, "I thought Rei would never trust me after what I did during the Silver Millennium. But knowing I worked for that witch twice?!" Jadeite groaned. Was there any hope for their future?

Endymion reached out to place a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "I don't know who is responsible…" His eyes narrowed slightly. "But, I intend to find out. Come on…" Endymion led the way out of his office, Jadeite close at his heels. He would have to let Serenity and the Senshi know what had occurred, but after that, he fully intended to look further into who might be responsible for the deaths of his men. And… that person was going to regret it.

"Daddy…!" The two men were brought to a halt, however, when a small voice range through the palace hallways. Surprisingly, it was not the voice of Small Lady, but that of another little girl. Her physical appearance was younger than that of the 900 year old moon princess, who appeared seven years of age. This tiny sprite of a girl was only six-years-old and her trajectory was quite clearly the blonde-headed Shitennou at King Endymion's side. She had Jadeite's fair blonde hair streaked with hints of lavender and Mars' deep lavender eyes and exotic skin tone. All in all, she really was a beautiful child.

Running as fast as she could through the halls, the little girl stopped herself only once she was a few feet in front of the men. "Your… Majesty," she panted, out of breath, giving a polite curtsey like she had been taught before flinging herself at Jadeite. "Daddy, Daddy…!"

"Whoa there, Kaida; Calm down." Reaching down, Jadeite lifted his little daughter up into his arms letting her snake her small arms around his neck. Truthfully, he was relieved to see the little girl… alive. He'd been worried she might have been sacrificed when everyone else had disappeared. "Now, little Firebird, what is the problem?"

"Daddy, something bad is going to happen! That dark figure made everyone disappear. The Great Fire told me so! And… I had to come and find you and make sure you hadn't disappeared yet." The words tumbled urgently out of the little girl's mouth as she tightened her grip around her Daddy's neck. "I don't want you to disappear, Daddy…" Kaida sniffled.

"Hey, hey. Don't you know? I already left and came back again." Jadeite smiled as he rubbed her back fondly. Apparently, she had been on the way to warn him when the two of them had disappeared from existence. "Don't worry; I am not going anywhere."

"You mean… I was too late?" Kaida wondered softly.

"Afraid so, Firebird."

"Aww…" Kaida let out a heavy sigh, laying her head back down against her father's chest. That was what usually happened when she had a vision. She would see something coming, but only mere minutes before said event happened. "Are you going to disappear again?"

"I don't plan on it." Jadeite reassured her with a smile.

"Daddy…?"

"Hmm?"

"I want Mommy."

Jadeite grinned, turning to give Endymion a questioning look.

"Well… this ought to be interesting." Endymion remarked. "I'll accompany you."

"Yeah… maybe that's a good idea…."

* * *

"So, how does it look? Do you remember me yet?" Returning to the gates of time, Meioh Takeshi approached his mother, a look of hopeful concern upon his face.

Sailor Pluto smiled, shaking her head in a negative. "It is still too early to tell. The boys managed to save Jadeite. Already that is starting to change things, but… the time line is still extremely unstable and the battle could go either way."

"So… we wait?"

"I wait… you go down and speak with Akiyama." Pluto instructed, causing her son to raise a brow questioningly. What had that boy done now? "Akiyama almost gave himself away after you left… Hino Rei is not ready to consider having children with her enemy. You must tell him to be more cautious; your survival depends on it…"

Takeshi pressed his lips together, turning his attention to the river of time and the events occurring down within it. "I will speak with him… see if I can clean this up; only… I do not feel right lying to the king… even if it is in the 20th century."

"I understand… just be cautious."

"Understood."

* * *

** Tokyo, 20th Century**

Rising to his feet, Chiba Mamoru wrapped an arm around Akiyama's shoulders and led him into the nearby Crown Game Arcade. It was getting later but Motoki was still hard at work. He led the boy up to one of the bar stools and the pair of them took a seat. "Motoki-kun," Chiba Mamoru called for the attention of his closest friend for a couple of years now. The corners of his lips turned upwards in amusement at the surprised expression on the arcade worker's face, though otherwise his expression remained the same, "two shakes, please." Mamoru looked down to his young companion, who had grown silent and was staring down at his lap indecisively, as though he wanted to say something but wasn't sure if he really ought to. "What would you like?"

"Huh…?" Akiyama looked up. His parents probably wouldn't have agreed with him taking food gifts from strangers, but this man wasn't really a *total* stranger. He had saved him from getting run over, and that… look he had given him when he promised to help find his dad. It made him think of… "Chocolate."

"Two chocolates then," Motoki nodded. It only took him a minute to make up two chocolate shakes and set them before his two customers. "So, who's your friend Mamoru-kun?"

Taking a sip of his shake, Mamoru looked to the young boy questioningly.

"Kanedai Akiyama…" Akiyama answered, catching the man's eye as he took a long sip of his chocolate shake. Already, he was starting to feel calmer, that fiery spirit he held inside quieting down with the promise of seeing his father again. Something about his gaze reminded him so much of… his prince. "Oh. Your name's Mamoru? My brother's name's Mamoru too!" Prince Mamoru Endymion II was his full royal name… the second. His lavender gaze grew wide as the thought occurred to him… could this be? "Ah, Mamoru-sama… will you really help me find my dad?" Akiyama quizzed him, his mind returning once again to its same worry.

"Mamoru-SAMA? Well, that's a new one." Motoki chuckled at this. He got the hint, however, when Akiyama turned to give him a rather annoyed 'go away' glance. Smiling in understanding, he headed off to check on some other customers and leave Mamoru alone to speak with his new companion.

"Well, first, why don't you tell me why you were doing in the middle of the street today?" Mamoru prodded, curious to learn more about this boy that had caused such strange visions concerning… whom he had – until now – assumed only to be his enemy.

"Well…" Akiyama sipped quietly on his shake. "I have to stay at the Hiwaka Shrine… till I can go back to my parents. Rei-sama and I had a fight, and I told her I hated her."

"I see… do you?"

"Yes." Akiyama frowned, catching Mamoru's gaze as he continued to watch him through a pretty well neutral look. "No…" he looked back down at the counter. "I don't know." The eight-year-old shut his eyes, feeling tears pushing at the edges once more. Once he had pulled them under control again, Akiyama sighed and explained. "Rei-sama is mad at my dad, I think… because he got in trouble up at the shrine. But… he isn't bad. Someone MADE him do all those bad things! He… doesn't even know who I am…."

Mamoru remained silent while Akiyama explained what was on his mind. When he mentioned his father making trouble at the shrine, however, and the bad things he had done… that, together with the vision he'd had not moments ago... caused his mind to start spinning. "Akiyama, who IS your father; what is your father's name?"

"You mean his real name?"

Mamoru raised a brow, "Yes."

Akiyama slurped the last of his shake, "Jadeite."

"Akiyama!" The scolding voice came from the doorway of the Crown Game Arcade and caused the young man's head to snap up at attention. The young man looked over his shoulder to meet the scolding gaze that matched the voice. Crossing the room, Meioh Takeshi came over to place his hand firmly upon the young boy's shoulder. "This is not the way to help your father." His voice was soft but loud enough for both Akiyama and Mamoru to still hear him.

Akiyama flushed, "Eh… I was okay… I'm with Mamoru! See?"

Mamoru, on the other hand, looked completely floored by the whole thing. He could hardly believe the man he and the senshi fought against actually had a son.

"So, I see." Sighing softly in frustration, Takeshi looked to Akiyama's companion and introduced himself. "Sorry. My name is Meioh Takeshi. I am Akiyama's… guardian, of sorts. I apologize for any trouble he has caused for you." Taking a seat, he looked back towards Mamoru. "You have that look. What did Akiyama say to you?"

Mamoru didn't answer right away. Was this man to be trusted? Could it be a trick by the enemy, trying to prevent him from getting to the Ginzuishou? Prevent him from getting to…?

"You don't trust me." Takeshi remarked, not surprised nor really offended by this realization. "Fair enough; you have no reason to. If you are willing to listen, I will save you a few questions." Mamoru turned to meet Takeshi's gaze, still saying nothing. "I know who you are. I would gladly share it with you, but frankly, you wouldn't believe me anyway. You are better off figuring it out on your own and… you would have the migraine from all hell if you remembered everything at once." Takeshi paused, debating how to approach the rest of it.

He glanced towards Akiyama, who met his gaze with a strained one of his own. "As for Jadeite, you should probably know he is alive…" Akiyama's eyes lit up at this news; Takeshi looked back to Mamoru. "And he will be looking for you."

"Looking for me…?"

Takeshi smiled, "and probably about as confused as you are." Stretching, he placed a hand on the back of Akiyama's shoulder. "As for you," Takeshi pinched the back of the boy's neck. "I left you at the Hiwaka Shrine, because I knew it was SAFE. Telling Hino Rei about things she is not supposed to be privy to is a great way to ensure BOTH your futures get cut short. So, for all our sakes, do *try* to keep your temper… and your tongue, under control?"

"Eh…heh… Hai?"

"Akiyama!" Both Akiyama and Mamoru looked up as Hino Rei showed up at the door of the Crown Game Arcade. Looking back to the stool on the other side of Rei, Mamoru was surprised to find that "Meioh Takeshi" had disappeared in the time it took him to look towards the door and look back again. Akiyama didn't seem very disturbed by it, however, and instead had his attention on the raven-haired beauty at the door. "There you are. Are you alright?"

"Yes…" Akiyama blushed embarrassedly as he met Rei's gaze. "But…"

"But… we need to go back to the shrine now. You can't be alone on the streets at night."

"Yeah, okay… but… I was with Mamoru-sama, so I wasn't REALLY alone." Akiyama remarked, case in point, indicting the man next to him.

"Chiba Mamoru," Mamoru introduced himself to the raven-haired beauty with a polite smile. "I was just trying to figure out where he belonged, so I could get him home."

"Thank you for looking after him. I apologize if he caused any trouble."

"Why does everyone always say that?" Akiyama grumbled as he jumped down from the seat and followed Rei out of the arcade, back in the direction of the shrine. The pair walked in silence all the way to the temple stairwell.

It was here Rei finally spoke up. "Akiyama… is there something you want to tell me?"

"About what?" he wondered, playing dumb.

"About what has you so upset lately."

"Oh, yeah…" Akiyama nodded, but then immediately lapsed into silence.

"Well…?"

"I want to, but I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because… we would both be in danger if I did." Without another word, Akiyama turned and hurried up the stairs and straight into the Great Fire room to meditate before the fire.

Rei frowned softly as she watched the eight-year-old disappear up the stairs and into the shrine. She could push the issue and maybe get him to speak to her, but then… she might also make him close down even more than he already had. Something about all this just did not sit well with her. The abilities Akiyama and Kanechi clearly had seemed a bit more suspicious after Akiyama's little display earlier. And now she worried the boys may be in some kind of danger.

Rei pulled out the communicator watch Luna had given her and starred at it. She seriously contemplated contacting the others, see if maybe they knew something about the identities of these two boys and what kind of 'danger' they might have gotten into. After a moment, she re-pocketed the communicator and headed up the stairs. Maybe, she would bring it up at their next meeting. First though, she wanted a few more answers from Luna.

* * *

Leaning back in the hospital bed, 'Ryuu' – as he was now being called – found himself flipping through channels on the television, trying to find something that caught his interest. It was strange in a way. He had spent the good part of the last year keeping his attention on trying to please the queen, stay out of trouble so as to avoid the wrath of either the queen or Kunzite. As icy as he was, he preferred Kunzite's punishments to Beryl's. Kunzite's idea of punishment was pushing your physical limitations. You could be sure if you hadn't been keeping up with physical training, you'd be feeling it up to a week later. Beryl's idea was little short of actual torture.

This was the first time in as long as he could remember of his present lifetime, he had been left to consider what HE wanted to do; he stopped flipping channels when he found a channel showing the races. Of course, he could pretty well count on the fact that both Beryl and his brothers assumed him dead at this point, which meant his time serving the 'Dark Kingdom' was over, if he wanted it to be. All in all, despite being stuck in a hospital room at the moment, he had not woken up to such a horrible life. He had a mother that seemed to do nothing but bawl all over him whenever she got within grabbing distance (that part was a bit weird), a father who like totally 'got' his sense of humor, and a little brother who could prove to be a source of amusement, who was also both big enough and small enough to 'beat into line' if necessary.

And then, there were the memories of his previous lifetime, his memories of Endymion. Would he really betray his prince that way… choose to serve such a witch? From what he remembered, the prince had never punished his failures the way Beryl had. Even Kunzite seemed… different in those times. Had he really wanted to wipe out an entire civilization? He remembered the feelings, the hatred that had consumed him, but… he couldn't really recall what it was that had made him feel that way. So, what if the Lunarians 'were' looking down on them? Trying to wipe them all out did seem like the best way to prove they were not "barbarians."

Then again, had any of it happened at all? Or… was it all just something his comatose mind had created to fill in the void while he showed up as clinically 'brain dead'? At that very moment at least, he was not really 100% sure. For now though, he was willing to give this 'human life' a go. Ryuu's eyes lit up when he thought he recognized the sponsor logo on the side of one of the vehicles. Sitting up straighter, he leaned in close routing on the car in question. "Come on… come on…" he grumbled as he watched the cars make their way around the track again and again. "Last time around… come on… Ha! Score!"

"You like that? That's our racer just won that race." Ryuu looked over to see his father enter the room, throwing some clothes that hit him directly in the face. "Get dressed. I managed to pay your bail," the man remarked, a smirk playing across his face.

"Bail?" Ryuu wondered, raising a brow as he slid off the bed and headed to the bathroom to change into… whatever the heck it was his father had brought for him to wear. "And what do you mean 'our racer'?" he queried, more interested in this that his father's jokes.

"You have been discharged from the hospital. Just like I said, that was our racer up there. Santorin talked me into going in with him to sponsor that kid. With you boys comatose and all, I guess we needed something to take our minds off it all…"

"Maybe, you're the one that needs to be in a coma… sure took my mind off things."

"Ryuu, that isn't funny!" His mother scolded, entering the room behind her husband.

His father, on the other hand, laughed. "Speaking of that, how's the ol' memory?"

"Well… I remembered the logo on that car… and that track looks kind of familiar."

"Racing… that 'would' be the first thing he would remember, racing…!"

"That's my boy! Your ol' Dad owns that track."

Ryuu laughed in amusement as he pushed the bathroom door open, still working on pulling his shirt over his head. "You two are hilarious. So, now what happens?"

"We are going to pick up your little brother and then we are going out to celebrate!" His father decided cheerfully, putting an arm around his son's shoulder and leading him towards the door. "And after that, we will head home and show you your old room. Doctor Mizuno says seeing things familiar to you will start to jog your memory."

"If you say so… let's go jog my memory then." Ryuu remarked, none-to-concerned over the matter. Frankly, he was still a little confused over which set of memories to believe. All in all though, he was still – at the moment – just enjoying his freedom.

"Oh, I had one other place I need to stop first." His mother decided.

* * *

Ryuu frowned when he realized the place his mother wanted to stop was the Hikawa Shrine. She had come here a lot to pray for her son and now she wanted to return to pray in thanks for his waking up. Pausing at the bottom of the steps, he hesitated there, looking up. If it wasn't all a dream, would he be recognized? Getting into another battle was not something he was interested in at that moment. For one thing, his present body had been asleep for a year. For another thing, none of his old powers seemed to work in this form.

"Ryuu…?" his mother questioned.

"Eh… I seem to remember pissing someone off up there once upon a time." Ryuu answered, frowning a bit over the matter. "Maybe, I will just wait for you down here."

"Oh, now don't be silly! That was over a year ago; surely, whatever it is has been forgotten. Besides, I *just* got you back. I am not taking *any* chances." His mother answered, not yet wanting to let her son out of her sight, especially being that his last memory was of being attacked by a woman in an alleyway. The doctor thought something that occurred during the attack may have something to do with his lapse in memory. "Come on, dear. It's fine."

"Yeah…fine…" Ryuu mumbled but obediently followed his parents up the steps of the temple. A year ago he probably would have made a bigger deal over being told to do something he didn't find in his best interest. As it was, he was still used to doing as told for the most part. It would take time to get the 'military' mentality out of his head. Shoving his hands down deep into his pockets, Ryuu made his way up the steps. He stopped in the courtyard, while his parents went off to 'pray in thanks for his awakening.' Ryuu took the opportunity to take a long look around. It had not been all that many days since he'd awakened, his quick recovery amazing the doctors.

"Can I help you?" Ryuu looked up to suddenly find himself facing the same raven-haired beauty that had caught his attention during his last battle fighting for Beryl and the Dark Kingdom. Rei blinked when she looked into those grey-blue and realized… she recognized him. "Have we met before?" she wondered, coming down off the porch, closer to the man in question.

"Ahm…" Ryuu wasn't really sure how to answer this, and so was glad when his father noticed him struggling and came to his rescue.

"Hino-san, I am Kanedai Zakuro and this is my wife, Kaida, and my eldest son, Ryuu." Kanedai Zakuro came over and placed a fond hand upon his son's shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "We have been praying for our son to wake up from his coma… for over a year now. I am afraid his memory is still coming back to him. So, he wouldn't be able to tell you that."

"We are just so glad to have him back!" Kaida put in happily coming over to hug her son.

"Mother…" Ryuu mumbled embarrassedly, his cheeks flushing as his father saved him yet again, disconnecting mother from son. "It's nice to meet you, Hino-san."

"It is… nice to meet you." Rei offered, wondering silently what it was about that uncertain grey-blue stare that caused her heart to skip a beat the way it did. Then, it occurred to her, what it was that made this man so familiar. "You said your name is Kanedai Ryuu?"

"That's what I'm told," Ryuu grinned and shrugged.

"Can you wait here for a moment? I have someone here that wants to see you."

"Of course!" Kaida answered while her son kept silent but nodded mutely.

Silently, he couldn't help but wonder who it was the girl had in mind. Whether or not she knew who he was, he knew full-well who *she* was for he had seen her transform before she attacked him. He also knew what she was capable of, for his memories of the final battle back on the moon were fairly intact. Of course, he also knew at that moment he knew more about her than she knew about herself. All this he analyzed in his mind while she went to get… a child?

"Ryuu!" Bolting out of the temple, Akiyama raced over to wrap his arms around Ryuu's waist, causing the older man's face to sort of go blank. Even as he released him shortly thereafter, the child looked like he still wanted to start crying… just like. Ryuu knelt down to look him in the eyes. "You were there, weren't you… when I got hurt?"

Akiyama's face lit up. "You remember! Yeah… and Akemi called for help. And then… you were gone and I didn't know where you got taken to… and I thought maybe you died…" Akiyama trailed off as he realized he was rambling on. "Where were you?"

Ryuu starred hard at the child. This was the kid he had seen that looked as though he might not have been there at all. Then again, he was pretty out of it at the time; that could have simply been a trick his mind played on him at the time. Nevertheless, he knew the boy was there when he was saved from death… when he had felt Endymion's energy. "I was in the hospital."

"Just like my vision said! Rei-sama helped me look for you in the Great Fire."

"Nice… what was your name again?"

"Akiyama."

"Okay, Akiyama-kun. I will make a point to come up and talk to you more later."

"Alright! I gotta tell Kanechi." Looking back over his shoulder, Akiyama spotted his friend standing there on the steps of the porch, watching silently and grinning at his enthusiasm.

"Yeah, well, I will see you later then… stay out of trouble."

"I'm not the one that was in the hospital!"

Ryuu smirked, "Touché." Rising to his feet, he bowed politely towards the raven-haired shrine maiden. "I suppose I will be seeing you again as well. It was nice to meet you, Hino-san." Turning at his father's prompting; Ryuu followed his parents back towards the temple steps.


End file.
